Fullerton's house, talking - or really listening - to Mrs." And so begins "The Shining Houses," with two very different women conversing in an apparently normal and civilized way in a brand new, orderly, clean subdivision. Like many of Munro's beautifully-crafted stories, this one is notable for the depth with which these ordinary characters are developed through the author's typical and natural use of meticulously chosen images, phrases, and pieces of conversation that often say more in their omissions than in their actual words. As the students begin to explore these ordinary people, they begin to understand the tension and anger that exist in this new subdivision of shiny, new homes, where disorder, eccentricity, and non-conformity will not be tolerated by the upwardly mobile, good "people who win." Students will begin to see how Munro carefully characterizes the neighbours through their words and behaviour to reveal, ever so subtly, their beliefs and values - that the egg-lady, Mrs. Fullerton, is bringing down their property values and life-styles with her "shack, eyesore" of a home. As the students ponder the ethical dilemmas concerning stereotyping, competing rights and responsibilities, and the nature of an urban environment, they will appreciate the craft and artistry of one of Canada's pre-eminent writers. The concluding "Another Viewpoint" activity (p 73) encourages students to consider Mary as a "quintessential Canadian character" and then identify other characters in Canadian fiction (Hagar Shipley? Del Jordan?) who represent something central to Canada and who would not be "at home" in any other context. .
