The Butterfly

Why do Young People Lack Courage of Conviction?
Adolescents and children sometimes lack courage and the conviction to stand up for their beliefs and moral values, often because they are afraid to oppose someone else’s views, especially someone they consider to be a friend. Regrettably they adopt negative attitudes and behaviors which their peers expect from them and in the process someone else gets hurt by their behavior. Alice Munro’s short story “Day of the Butterfly” portrays a young girl who lacks courage of conviction. The narrative perspective, symbolism and characterization all play an important role in expressing the author’s theme of conviction and courage to stand up for one’s beliefs.
Munro used the first person narrative perspective to present her readers with a clearer, stronger view of what Helen, the narrator, feels and thinks and also how she reacts during an episode from her childhood. In “Day of the Butterfly,” the author suggests that Helen regrets...