This was the great difference between disappointing him and disappointing somebody like my mother, or even my aunts. Masculine self-centeredness made him restful to be with.
In Alice Munro's "Lives of Girls and Women," the narrator reflects on the nature of disappointment in relationships, contrasting her feelings toward a significant male figure and her maternal relatives. The distinction lies in how the male character's self-centeredness offers a sense of ease and comfort, as opposed to the weight of expectations often felt from her mother and aunts. This suggests a complexity in navigating personal connections, highlighting the different...