The difference between men and women is a very controversial issue, while there are obviously physical differences; the problem is how the sexes are treated. Men are stereotypically thought to do the work and earn all the money, while women stay at home, cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children. While this stereotype doesn't exist as much in the 21st century, it was very prevalent in the 1900s. Using many different literary tools such as character development, symbolism, and setting, Alice Munro's Boys and Girls and John Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums challenge this argument controversial of the treatment of women compared to men in the 1900s. Munro uses a fox farm for the setting of Boys and Girls to bring out many of the social issues between the sexes. While his father worked outside doing all the manual labor, his mother stayed at home to cook and clean, “it was a strange thing to see my mother down in the barn” (Munro 12). The girl was very resentful of her mother, especially because she did not agree with the stereotypical life that her mother led. Causing the girl to spend more time helping her father on the farm. The girl helped feed the foxes, "cut the tall grass, lamb's quarter, and flowering moss" (Munro 10). However, when she turned eleven, things began to change causing the girl to not only observe gender differences between her mother and father, but also experience them between herself and her brother Laird while working on the farm. As Laird became more predominant in helping on the farm, the girl became less valuable to her father and was forced to help her mother around the house. In The Chrysanthemums the story also takes place in a farm-like setting in 19... ... in the center of the card ...... which was the symbol of its beauty” (Steinbeck 94). However, when Elisa and Henry are going to town, Elisa sees the chrysanthemums that the tinker had thrown away. At this moment, Elisa suddenly realizes that she will never be anything more than what she was before, a woman of no value to society. Although there is a notable age difference between the girl from Boys and Girls and Elisa from The Chrysanthemums, they both go through similar experiences of being held back from their hopes and dreams because of gender. Instead of doing what they want, they do what is expected of them. Munro and Steinbeck do a good job of conveying this message by using setting, symbolism, and character development as key elements. Leaving the girl and Elisa a future of unhappiness and disappointment and of hopes "cut [...] into fifty pieces" (Munro 53)