In the story Shiloh by Bobbie Ann Mason we are introduced to Norma Jean. She is a wife to an injured trucker named Leroy. Our first glimpse at Norma Jean is of her working out. “Leroy Moffitt’s wife, Norma Jean, is working on her pectorals. She lifts three-pound dumbbells to warm up, then progresses to a twenty-pound barbell. Standing with legs apart, she reminds Leroy of Wonder Woman.” (Pg. 68) This shows a bit about her strong, self-improving personality. Another look at this trait are seen in her attempts at learning. “Norma Jean is going to night school. She has graduated from her six-week body-building course and now she is taking an adult-education course in composition at Paducah Community College. She spends her evenings outlining paragraphs.” (Pg. 74) Not only is

n charge and makes the decisions. Norma Jean’s name comes from the Norman invaders who came to England and overthrew the government there. This is an interesting point, for in this situation, Norma Jean (the Norman invaders) is overthrowing Leroy (the king), causing a historical juxtaposition of the two times. Next Leroy is talking consistently of building a nice new log cabin for his wife. “’I’m going to build you this house,’ says Leroy. ‘I want to make you a real home.’ ‘I don’t want to live in any log cabin.’ ‘It’s not a cabin. It’s a house.’ ‘I don’t care. It looks like a cabin.’” (Pg. 71) Leroy wants to build his wife a log cabin, which is important. Log cabins dominated early America when there was absolutely no feminine voice. The women of this time were basically homemakers and mothers. Norma Jean does not want this log cabin because of what it stands for.

The coming of age to see that women can gain their independence is very prevalent. In these two stories the women were able to realize the troubles that they were having and they were able to cut them off. Liberation and freedom are their prize.

on’t leave her daughter alone “She won’t leave me alone- you won’t leave me alone.” (Pg. 76) She feels pressured to live the life of every other woman and she does not want this. She feels trapped and she needs out.

Throughout the story there are numerous symbols that point to the problems in their marriage and the eventual break up. First the truck is seen, “He will probably not be able to drive this rig again. It sits in the backyard, like some gigantic bird of prey that has flown home to roost.” This truck has been the thing that has kept Leroy away from home for fifteen years. It is said to look like some huge bird at roost. Now it is home and it is a menacing thing to Norma Jean. She is used to her solitude and independence now this truck has returned with her husband and she is uncomfortable with this. When a bird roosts it does so for long periods of time, it is stationary and it is not leaving. Then the names are apparent symbols of the characters role. “Your name means ‘the king’ Norma Jean says to Leroy that evening.” (pg. 75) “Norma comes from the Normans. They were invaders” (pg. 75) Leroy means the king, this being the traditional role of males in the household. The king is i!

never speak about their memories of Randy, which have almost faded but now that Leroy is home all the time, they sometimes feel awkward around each other, and Leroy wonders if one of them should mention the child. He feels that they are waking out of a dream together- that they must create a new marriage, start afresh.” Leroy is pretty observant of how his wife is feeling. He knows that this is a new way of living for both of them and he wan

Some topics in this essay:
Norma Jean, Jean Norman, Realizing Ames, Astronomer’s Wife, , Woman” Pg, Jean Leroy, norma jean, Norma Jean’s, Southern Confederates, Community College, leroy home, pg 63, log cabin, norman invaders, pg 75, norma jean’s, ‘i don’t, pg 76, won’t leave,