Alice Munro's Deep-Holes

In her short story “Deep-Holes,” author Alice Munro introduces a family that seems to have a harmonious relationship with each other, but the truth is that with one another they are in fact very cold and distant. Throughout the story, Sally (the protagonist) faces an internal dilemma of seeking a true connection with her husband Alex, but sadly does not find it. Instead she forms a strong bond with her son Kent. However, to her surprise and disappointment after years not seeing her son she realizes that Kent has changed his perspective in life and is not the little boy she raised. Indeed, Munro invests so much in Sally because she illustrates that being a mother and a wife requires optimism and determination, yet comes with many disappointments.

One example why Munro invests so much in Sally is to sympathize that motherhood requires effort, optimism, and being prepared for disappointments. Initially in the story, Sally stumbles “with the diaper bag and baby Savanna” (96) and is “nearly crying with exhaustion” (96). Although Sally stumbles with all that she is dealing with she does not complain. On the contrary, Sally is content multitasking because she feels that she is bonding with her family. However, to her husband Alex he does not feel the same way. He is upset and bothered that he must see his wife nurse his baby and be attentive to their sons. Sally notice his dissatisfaction when she nurses her baby. As she recalls,” he dislikes the whole conjunction of sex and nourishment, [my] breast [turn] into udders” (99). Alex is a child himself instead of helping his wife with all the doing and being attentive to his kids. He prefers to rage about how dissatisfied he feels that his wife is not affectionate towards him. In the same manner, he is an

Sally has always been “attracted to remote islands” (101). She desires to go “to small or obscure islands nobody talks about and which were seldom, if ever visited’’ (101). Sally romanticizes these islands, because just like the islands are “remote and obscure” she can identify herself with them. Unfortunately, the only person who knows this desire is her son Kent and not her husband. She is not bothered that her son knows her desire on the contrary she is fulfilled. Nevertheless, deep inside her, she wishes that her husband would know too. Until, “One time in a trusting mood after sex, she [tells] Alex about islands” (105). It takes Sally “in a trusting mood after sex” to confess her fantasy about the island to husband. This demonstrates that although she has intimacy with her husband. She truly does not feel comfortable expressing her thoughts to her husband. Sally prefers to keep her self-expressions reserved to herself because she fears that her husband will think her idea is absurd. To her disappointment, Sally is correct, Alex believes ‘this [is] no good, she needs something real to do” (105), and he proposes that she can be his assistant. Sally once again does not defend her dreams and her voices. Instead of insisting in her dream she accepts her husband proposal because she hopes and is optimistic that through the more