Alice Munro was born and raised in Sowesto, a small Canadian town, which directly influenced her success in writing. In small towns like Sowesto, a woman's place in society was to stay home and cook, clean, and raise her children. If a woman had a job, it was usually simple, like teaching school, writing for a newspaper, or playing the piano. Another challenge facing Munro – and others who wanted to pursue their writing careers – was the lack of authenticity in Canadian writing. Wishing to become a successful writer on a global platform was something to be mocked, not only because publishers in Canada were few and far between, but in general works from Britain and the United States were what people all over the world recognized and loved. However, many other factors related to growing up in Canada played a role in Munro's success. Religion in a small Canadian town generally had a Protestant culture which believed that forgiveness was difficult to receive and that punishments were harsh and frequent and that shame and humiliation were near. His ancestry also greatly influenced his worldview. Alice Munro's ancestry traces back to Scots-Presbyterian and Anglican roots which had a significant impact on her worldview. Anglicans were very strict and believed that using the wrong fork at dinner could be considered a sin in itself - these roots made her well-mannered and very conscious of her actions. The other half of Munro's ancestry led to the Scottish Presbyterians, making her explicitly conscious. of social class, what separated each class, how the upper classes acted towards the lower classes, and where she and everyone else belonged. The Presby side also led her to constantly examine her own actions, emotions and motivations and analyze whether they could be factored in ... middle of paper ... and social class. Her habit of writing down everything she saw around her - street names, people, the way shadows fell - made her stories more realistic as well as "sadness of the spirit" - a common phenomenon in Alice Munro's stories. His characters struggle to do the right thing because neither succeeding nor failing is satisfying. However, the most important aspect of Munro's writing is how female characters are empowered, scorned, humiliated, relieved by different sexual cultures over time. All of these factors combine to create a style unique to Munro and cherished by fans from all corners of the world. Perhaps it's because of the relevance of her stories, or perhaps because she is able to enter into her character's mind - and in some ways ours - and explore how it works and how it thinks. Whatever the reason Alice Munro is so popular, she leaves a legacy.