Descriptive language in the stories “Boys & Girls,” “Cat in the Rain,” “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” and in the poem “ Far from Africa”. Descriptive language is a literary tool used by many great writers. We see this clearly in the stories "Boys & Girls", "Cat in the Rain", "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and in the poem "A Far Cry from Africa". Through the use of metaphors, images, similes, and symbolism, authors present their issues more effectively. We see that in all of these stories, descriptive language is used to demonstrate how a character's difficult identity situation can lead to an overall crisis. “Boys & Girls” by Alice Munro is about a girl struggling against society's ideas of what a girl should be. She tries to become the opposite of the conventional role that society has established for women, but in many ways it is limited. Critic Marlene Goldman writes, “This image of the fence and the concomitant distinction between inside and outside (inside and outside) recur throughout the text.” I would agree with this quote. We see in the story that women are kept inside where they are limited as opposed to the outside, which in many ways represents freedom. Even though the girl loved working outside, she hated doing "woman's work" inside. She didn't like her mother for making her do it, and believed that her mother only made her do it because she didn't like it. She didn't like anything about this job. “He hated the hot, dark kitchen and thought the work was endless, depressing and unimportant.” His outward desire represents his need for freedom...... middle of paper ......rk: Longman, 200. P.1231-33Patterson, Linda. “I Met Story Once, But He Didn't Recognize Me” Winter 1987. April 21, 2008Goldman, Marlene. “Boys & Girls” 1990. April 21, 2008 http://galenet.galegroup.com.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/servlet/LitRC?locID=cuny_nytc&srchtp=ttl&c=2&stab=512&ai=U13024837&docNum=H1420022933&bConts=41 9 9103&vrsn =3&TI=boys+and+girls&OP=start&TQ=TW&ca=1&ste=57&tab=2&tbst=trp&n=10&wi=1096969Lindsay, Clarence. “Cat in the Rain” Fall 97, April 21, 2008. http://web.ebscohost.com.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=107&sid=eda3b0f8-a907-4284- 845e -7745e9a7e100%40sessionemgr109