The monotheistic worldview denotes man as one of God’s favorite creations, a creature given power and free reign over the Earth and its inhabitants. This understanding of man as a near heavenly sovereign over nature is a point that sits in close relation to the idea of power relegated to Alice Munro’s short story “Vandals,” in which a taxidermist, Ladner, seeks to control his environment first through its woodland creatures and then through its human residents. Yet this perception of the taxidermist’s power as all-encompassing is itself part of an imagined reality. It is the perception, the illusion of what he represents that defines him in the eyes of those he abuses. And it is this illusion, taken as fact, that leaves in its wake shattered expectations. “Vandals” presents a scenario in which biased societal perceptions affect the ways the characters respond to subtle impressions of pedophilia, relationship abuse, and vandalism.
To understand societal expectations of women that would have plagued the characters of “Vandals” one may consider the role of Christianity. One abstraction of the obedient wife that predates the concept of equality in marriage is the debatably unequal relationship between the Christian Adam and Eve. This and many other religious and cultural tales forewarning the destruction that is a disobedient woman’s actions help to provide context for the consistent subjugation of women recognized throughout the centuries. In the article, “Introduction: Women