Magnificent Transformation

Alice Munro has been regarded all over the world as one of the most famous Canadian writers. She is specialized in writing stories from female’s point of view and her plain narration always contains deep and thematic meaning which impresses the world. Most of her works are connected with her own experiences which impress readers very much. Most importantly, what has been written in her books are not just facts, for readers cannot find a series of matters that are totally same with Munro’s, but her growing spiritual and mental fragments can be found here and there. Thus, this thesis attempts to devote to interpreting the autobiographical nature of Alice Munro’s short stories from three aspects: Munro tract, experiences and identities, so it concludes that Munro is continuously constructing herself while writing short stories, and her magnificent transformation is quite obvious and admirable. In this way readers can have a better understanding of Munro and her works, and get inspiration.Chapter One mainly involves Munro’s special tract, Wingham, Huron County, Ontario in Canada. All the people who appear in her stories are from small towns whose names are made up by Munro. As a result, these people are greatly influenced by the geography, culture and other factors. In fact, Munro bases her stories on her hometown where she spent her childhood and adolescence with her family. So it is worthwhile to probe into the autobiographical nature from the region and its culture.Chapter Two is related to two important stages of Munro which witness the growth of her either in age or in spirit. As a little girl, Munro learnt everything gradually from the people around her, most of whom are her parents and teachers. With time passing by, Munro grows into a woman who has two marriages. The first one turns out to be a failure, for Munro and Jim have great difference in classes so that they often argued with each other over a series of matters, but she is quite satisfied with the second, for Munro and Gerry have common interests and care for each other much. So this part tries to analyze its autobiography mainly from two marriages which affect Munro deeply.Chapter Three probes Munro’s three identities, all of which are the writer of short stories, Canada and female. Identity is the most basic element for a person to live in the world especially for a writer who is dying for the approval of readers. Thus, he or she will constantly show his or her identity to everyone in order to attract people who are interested in him or her. Munro puts her marginal identities into stories, through which readers can not only see her spiritual growth but also witness the gradual construction of her identities.Munro’s stories are plain but meaningful. Almost each story is told by a female narrator who always leaves readers infinite imagination in the end. From her story we can see groups of different and representative females who struggle against the tough life step by step. It is Munro,a simple but outstanding writer, who gives readers more inspiration from the incidents of a person to the whole world. So in the end, readers can not only appreciate the great writing skills of Munro, but also attest her gradual self-construction as a Canadian female writer who devotes her lifetime to short stories.