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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 6 page essay that deconstructs Bobbie Ann Mason’s intriguing short story “Shiloh,” which relates the breakup of a marriage between Leroy Moffitt and his wife Norma Jean. The writer discusses meaning, themes and motifs. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khshil.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
literature students "consistently skew Masons ending to conform to their deep-seated gender expectations," as they define Leroy as a "nice guy" and Norma Jean as "the enemy, the OTHER," that
is, as the heartless person who is breaking the heart of the innocuous, good guy who is so similar to the prototype of the alienated American hero, Rip Van Winkle
(Bradley 137). In contrast to this perspective, the following examination of "Shiloh" will argue that neither Norma Jean nor Leroy is meant by Mason to be perceived as an antagonist,
i.e., as the "bad guy." They are simply two very human individuals who got caught up in societal expectations rather than their own lives. Told in a straightforward,
descriptive manner, that uses the third person omniscient narrative perspective, the narratives seeming simplicity is deceptive because on closer examination nuances of meaning emerge that indicate the radically different ways
in which Norma Jean and Leroy view their life and marriage. While Leroy is an easy-going, "nice guy" whom critic Patricia Bradley relates to the classic "alienated artist hero" of
American literature who I exemplified in the character of Rip Van Winkle, Norma Jean is characterized by her emerging consciousness as an individual in her own right. Mason underscores
Norma Jeans development toward individuation throughout the story by relating her relationship to her mother, Mabel, who is omnipresent, constantly dropping by. On her frequent visits, she criticizes Norma Jeans
housekeeping and anything else that strikes her critical eye. A critical moment for Norma Jean occurs when her mother catches her smoking. Leroy finds Norma Jean in tears over the
incident, as it appears that Norma Jean has been hiding the fact that she smokes from her mother since adolescence. As this suggests, Norma Jean, despite being a woman in
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