Ways of Dealing with Adultery: A Study of Munro’s Adultery Stories

Abstract

This article aims to discuss three of Alice Munro’s stories—“Differently,” “The Children Stay,” and “What Is Remembered”—in terms of Munro’s new ways of dealing with female adultery. I argue that unlike their nineteenth-century literary precedents, these stories promote a positive view of desire, of self-realization and self-fulfillment. They subtly denounce guilt and shame and instead focus on the adulteress’ inner rebellions, struggles, and calculations. Munro’s choice of highlights and temporal rearrangement stand out to enchant her readers. I discuss in turn the psychological transformation of the adulteresses facilitated by their doubles, the residual memory beyond real and dishonest remorse, and their urge for self-realization, ending with a summarizing conclusion.