In Red Dress 1946 by Alice Munro we have the theme of appearance, insecurity, acceptance, hope, freedom, opinionand connection.
The reader is told that the narrator wishes that rather than having her dresses made for her by her mother she wishes that like Lonnie, she could buy her dresses in Beale’s store.
‘light boned, pale and thin, while she is trying on her dress the narrator tells the reader that again she wishes she was like Lonnie. Taken from her Dance of the Happy Shades collection the story is narrated in the first person by a young thirteen year old girl and after reading the story the reader realises that Munro might be exploring the theme of appearance and insecurity. On top of that, throughout the story there’s fact that the narrator is also inquisitive with regards to the boys in her class and whether they might like her may also be significant as it suggests that she has begun to become sexually aware.
How important appearance is to the narrator or how strong her desire to be liked or accepted by others is further noticeable when she is in her bedroom with Lonnie.
The reader discovers that she has filled out would’ve been considered popular.
Though it’s more likely thatMunro is highlighting the pressure that a young girl may feel while growing up and just how important Undoubtedly it’s to a young girl to feel that they ‘fit in’ with their peers or that they are popular. Something that is further noticeable when the reader discovers that the narrator has also read an article about what a girl must do if a boy tries to go it’s also possible that by using a first person narrative Munro may been attempting to develop a connection between the narrator and the reader.
For the reader to feel empathy for the narrator or to imagine themselves in her shoes.
While wanting to escape from her mother being that she may feel oppressed when the reality is that there’s nothing in the story to suggest that her mother is oppressing her, me might suggest that the narrator now is selfish. Whether Munro has succeeded in connecting the reader and narrator is up to any individual reader to decide. This is the case. Much to the narrator’s disapproval, Therefore if anything the mother is attempting to connect with both the narrator and Lonnie. Considering the above said.
That being a life of loneliness and isolation. For instance, she opens her bedroom window to allow the cold air into her room and says to herself ‘blue with cold, when the narrator becomes anxious about preparing to the dance and tries to make herself sick. This is the case. Munro also appears to be contrasting the colour redish against the colour blueish, that at times in the story Munro is associating with the narrator’s mother.
Most of us are aware that there is also some symbolism in the story which can be significant.
The fact that the dress is light red might be important as redish is usually associated with desire and passion and throughout the story the reader can sense just how strongly the narrator wishes to be able to connect with a boy.
The narrator tells the reader that’s exactly what sheand Lonnie say to ourselves when they say goodbye to each other. As a result, how lonely the mother may feel is noticeable when she says ‘au reservoir’ to the narrator and Lonnie when they leave to go to the dance. When the narrator’s mother was younger she was given a dress with ‘royal light blue piping down the front.’ It is possible that by using the colour blue that Munro is highlighting the narrator’s wish to disassociate or free herself from her mother. It’s also noticeable that Munro at moments when the narrator feels anxious or wants to isolate herself from the world around her also uses the colour light blue to symbolise the anxiety that the narrator may feel. I know that the narrator describes her mother’s legs as being ‘marked with lumps of blue-green veins’. Having already experienced the pain of being isolated from others Mary Fortune may feel that rather than connecting with another person she is safer following her own path as she is less gonna get hurt.
I’m sure that the fact that the narrator also decides that she shall not tell her mother about how she got on at the dance may also be important as it suggests that the narrator is taking a further step in freeing herself from her mother and is beginning to stand on her own two feet.
Itis possiblethat the narrator is already thinking for herself, the reader aware of just how much importance the narrator places on making a connection with a boy.It might also be a case that Mary Fortune’s outlook on life, though at first appealing to the narrator, is more reactive than proactive.
Some critics suggest that by not following Mary Fortune the narrator is displaying an inability to think for herself as Mary Fortune appears to be able to do and inreality sheis again conforming to societal norms or expectations as to what a young girl or woman should do.
Ending of the story is also interesting as was when the reader discovers that the narrator feels she was saved by Raymond and rather than leaving the dance with Mary Fortune decides instead to dance with Raymondand walk home with him.