Throughout life there is always one person who influences you, impacts your decisions and aids you in your struggle for identity. It is of no importance whether or not that person is male or female, friend or family, younger or older. In the story The Red Dress by Alice Munro, the character Mary Fortune represents this individual; this influence. The main character in the narrative, who remains nameless, is only able to discover herself through …showed first 75 words of 1659 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1659 total…and forces her to make decisions. She is able to express her views, and is able to live a life of her own only after her encounter with Mary Fortune. Without Mary Fortune the girl would never have found herself and realized the power of judgment. The girl learns that self-expression is a form of self-acceptance and with the help of Mary Fortune the girl is finally able to strip herself of the red dress.