20 Questions
What did the father do to the pelt in the house?
Stretched it inside-out on a long board
Who suffered from bronchial troubles in the house?
Henry Bailey
What did the narrator tell Laird lived on the other side of the stairwell?
Bats and skeletons
What did the narrator imagine when a man escaped from the county jail?
He let himself in the window and was hiding behind the linoleum
What room was not finished at this time upstairs of their house?
The room where they slept
What type of animals did the father raise on the farm?
Silver foxes
Where were the pelts sold to after the father killed and skinned the foxes?
Hudson's Bay Company or Montreal Fur Traders
What were hung on each side of the kitchen door?
Heroic calendars
What was the mother's opinion about the pelting operation?
She disliked it and wished it did not have to take place in the house
Where were the naked, slippery bodies of the foxes collected and buried?
In the dump
What was the father's primary source of income?
Raising and selling silver foxes
Where were the naked, slippery bodies of the foxes collected and buried?
In the dump
Who did the hired man, Henry Bailey, aim to scare with the sack of fox bodies?
The narrator
What did the mother dislike about the pelting operation?
The smell
What did the father do after removing the pelt inside-out from the body of the fox?
Buried it in the dump
What symbolized the warm, safe, brightly lit downstairs world for the children?
The smell of oranges and pine needles
Which item was part of the things that nobody had any use for anymore in the unfinished upstairs of their house?
All of the above were part of those things
What did the narrator imagine whenever a man escaped from the county jail?
The man had somehow let himself in the window and was hiding behind the linoleum
When were the children safe according to the rules they had in their bedroom-space?
All of the above were times when they were safe
What troubled Henry Bailey's bronchial troubles?
The smell of blood and animal fat
Study Notes
The Father's Activities
- The father removed the pelt from the fox's body inside-out in the house.
Health Issues
- Laird's father suffered from bronchial troubles.
- Henry Bailey's bronchial troubles were troubled by dust.
The House
- The narrator told Laird that the Crouses lived on the other side of the stairwell.
- The upstairs room was not finished at this time.
Farm and Animals
- The father raised foxes on the farm.
- The pelts were sold to a fur buyer after the father killed and skinned the foxes.
The Kitchen
- The pelts were hung on each side of the kitchen door.
Mother's Opinion
- The mother disapproved of the pelt operation, finding it repulsive and dirty.
- She disliked the smell of the foxes and the mess created by the operation.
Disposal of Fox Bodies
- The naked, slippery bodies of the foxes were collected and buried in the woods.
Father's Income
- The father's primary source of income was from raising and selling foxes.
Henry Bailey's Actions
- Henry Bailey aimed to scare the children with the sack of fox bodies.
Imagination and Safety
- The narrator imagined that the escaping man from the county jail would come to their house.
- The children felt safe in their bedroom-space when the door was closed and the transom was open.
Upstairs and Symbolism
- The unfinished upstairs room contained old, unused items, including a broken trunk.
- The downstairs world, with its warm and bright lights, symbolized safety and comfort for the children.
Test your knowledge of 'Boys and Girls' by Alice Munro with this quiz. Explore the themes, characters, and events in this captivating short story.
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