The Symbolism of the Flood in "The Found Boat"
The short story "The Found Boat" by Alice Munro is an allegory of female sexuality. The Flood, which is capitalized throughout, is symbolic of both the female reproductive cycle and female fertility. The symbolism is especially poignant, since the story uses two female teenage protagonists who are at the beginning of their sexual journey and who will either soon begin having their monthly cycles or who have just begun experiencing them.
Cycle of Fertility
The flood comes every spring, which is itself symbolic of fertility and the renewal of life. The flood is also cyclical: "Where the bay was now, there would be a pond full of frogs later in the spring, and by the middle of summer there would be no water visible at all." It is cyclical the way the female cycle comes and goes each month, along with her fertility and the potential for life. It is also the flood that makes it possible for the boat, which represents female sexuality, to sail.
Maria Magher has been working as a professional writer since 2001. She has worked as an ESL teacher, a freshman composition teacher and an education reporter, writing for regional newspapers and online publications. She has written about parenting for Pampers and other websites. She has a Master's degree in English and creative writing.