A Girl Who Changed Into a Boy - Paper Example

Introduction

Narratives have a way of reflecting right through society, maneuvering through its traditions, cultures, and way of life, and present the day to day activities of individuals within such a community. They utilize incredible symbolic representations, metaphoric occurrences and even go deep into the religious beliefs of such a people, to bring out their source of power and motivation as they go about their life. Traditionally, narratives, of whichever genre aimed at imparting cultural norms within society while emphasizing on the need for the eradication of vices and immoral behaviors. It is therefore in order to take a specific angle while looking at nay narrative, a systematic one for that matter, one that involves tackling the moral lessons, moral values, cultures and traditions conveyed within the story, and the moral impact such a narration hold to the intended audiences.

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Set in the early 20th century, the narrative "A Girl Who Changed Into A Boy" still finds relevance and applicability in the 21st century for its bold utilization of its characters, and setting up scenarios that though not duplicable by individuals within this century, still possess an undeniable similarity with situations, emotional and psychological, that human beings go through every single day. The struggles that the daughter of the old woman has to undergo for her to raise her status from a girl to the man the princess wanted, and to elevate her status from merely being a "daughter of an old woman" into being the prince in charge of a city and the man in complete possession of the princess speaks volumes. Looking at it prima facie, it is clear that the narrator wished to pass across a message of hope for all individuals struggling with situations that seem unachievable, that if they work hard, they will no doubt get ahead. This does not mean that they will not jump through hoops, but it is a guarantee that if they put their muscles and minds into it, then success is only a horizon away. The narrator deliberately introduces Lulizar, the incredible horse that aided the girl in achieving all her tasks, while seeking approval of her marriage to the princess. This inclusion could take numerous turns. For instance, to the Christians, it could mean that for one to succeed, one must be in the presence of the Holy Spirit, while to a regular individual, it could be about a conscience and the guts to accomplish a task.

The culture of any society often finds a compatible space in narratives. The oshakan village, for instance, possesses numerous traditions and customs that are depicted by the narrator. To begin with is the often over-emphasized inferiority of the female dominion in any traditional society. The daughter of the old woman, even though possessing the central attention of the narration, does not seem to deserve a character name. In fact, the horse is named Lulizar, yet the main character of the story is denied the privilege. It is clear that the female gender was never a desirable one since the old woman goes ahead to cross-dress her daughter so that she could fit in. Still on the horse, when the daughter of the old woman claims she wants the horse as prize for finding the kings daughter, the king says, "Lulizar is worth my entire kingdom (...) if I give her to you, I might as well give you my daughter too" (Nazarian 1). A horse is compared favorably to a princess. This is how inferior women are in this society.

Another culture that stands out is one that only approves of heterosexual marriage. Once the princess realizes that she has been married off to a fellow woman, she curses the cat, and even considers it a shame and disgrace to the kingdom for this abomination. The daughter of the old woman is indirectly condemned to death, through 'unachievable" tasks, but she gradually gets past each task successful. This could be a depiction of a challenging yet progressive change in sexuality. There is also the value of life, as the king hesitates to take the life of the girl, and prefers for other people or circumstances to do it. The village is also dominated with beliefs of curses and the summoning of spirits. The curse is viewed as a reason for the demise and inferiority of women since it is through the same curse that the girl of the old woman is transformed into a young man, and finally accepted into the society.

Conclusion

A narrative will only be a piece of writing if it lacked its moral as well as immoral models. This narrative, therefore, emphasizes the permanence of change, from the instance of the outwards transformation of the girl into a boy through cross-dressing. The sexuality of the society presents the moral angle of the narration as it boldly throws away any possibility of homosexuality, and therefore any form of sexual immorality. It is only until the daughter of the old woman gets into the character of a man, through the achievements that men had failed at, that she finally gets the approval of being a man. The gender bias is at its core, the bad morals, as women are treated equally or even inferiorly to animals. However, the fact that the daughter of the old woman works closely with a mure predicts the massive successes awaiting women, were they to join forces against the limitation the society has put for them.

Works Cited

Nazarian avetis. A girl who changed into a boy. 1913. Pp. 1-4