, acceptable way. The acceptable way that has been defined by men throughout the years. She also recognizes the unhappiness that consumes her mothers life, and does not want that to be her standard of living as well. In an attempt to hold onto her freedom and independence, she rebels against her father by freeing a horse that she developed an emotion connection to. Flora, her horse, was about to be put down, and she did not want this to happen. Perhaps this was just because she was trying to give herself some hope that she could have some independence, or maybe it was just because she is a girl at heart. However, by freeing Flora she feels as though she is freeing herself from the conformity that she must follow. Shamefully, she knows that her father will discover what she has done and thus she is, in all sense, defeated. He spoke with resignation, even good humor, the words which absolved and dismissed me for good, Shes only a girl, he said. I didnt protest that, even in my heart. Maybe it was true. (277)No longer can she escape from the social status that defines her mother and all women alike, so instead of refusing her identity, she makes peace with the understanding that her journey into the life as a woman has begun. No matter what she hopes for, or what she believes her life should be like, her future has been decided for her. She does not have the luxury of making her own decisions anymore, because the world that she lives in is ruled by the ways and means that men control. Her journey ahead is now one that could potentially be filled with the hopelessness of women that lived the same life before her, and not only does she understand this, she starts to accept it. The girl finally came to the conclusion that who she is and who she is meant to be are two completely different things. Fortunately her disappointment of not being able to be completely independent did not consume her.To conclude, in this short story, the idealized and...
