Summary Of Shiloh By Bobbie Ann Mason

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Bobbie Ann Mason was born and raised on her parent’s dairy farm in western Kentucky, and many of her stories are set on there. After graduated from high school, Mason went to University of Kentucky for a Bachelor’s Degree; moreover, she earned a Master’s Degree at the State University of New York at Binghamton, and then a doctorate from the University of Connecticut. Mason had been called “a full-fledged master of the short story” (May 804), and one of the stories made her to be famous is “Shiloh” (May 803). “Shiloh” was published in “Shiloh and Other Stories” (1982), and Mason was the winner of Ernest Hemingway Foundation Award with this collection. “Shiloh”, by Bobby Ann Mason, tells the story of a marriage with serious problem. We see a …show more content…
They married at 18 because Leroy got Norma Jean pregnant. She is used to her husband goes away, so Leroy staying at home make her uncomfortable. Norma Jean’s life is also changed after her husband’s return. While Leroy is focusing and building his projects, Norma Jean takes a more active approach to life. She is becoming independent, and she learns to do more things for herself than any other woman. She feels less dependent on her husband because if she wants to do anything, she has to do that by herself. She begins to gain more independence by taking body building and composition classes at Paducah Community College. However, Norma Jean gets upset when her mother catches her smoking and Leroy staying at home. We can see that Norma Jean is afraid to Mabel and Leroy will control her whole life. She says, “She won 't leave me alone-you won 't leave me alone” (Mason 813). She is afraid that her mom and her husband won’t let her get independence. She worries she will be monitored by her mom and Leroy after her mom caught her smoking. “I feel eighteen again. I can 't face that over again” (Mason 813). Leroy and Norma Jean married when they were eighteen and they lost their baby, so the year when she was eighteen was not a good year for her. When Leroy drove her to Shiloh, she says she wants to leave him, and Leroy tries to …show more content…
In real life, many women stayed in their bad relationships, just because they do not know what would happen if they got out the relationships and moved. Getting out of the relationship is a hard choice, but is it better than start over again? We do not know because the relationship may be better or may do the same again. Norma Jean has a bad relationship with Mabel, and this is one of reasons keep her still in marriage with Leroy. However, she is independence enough, and “she starts walking away” (Mason 813). After reached the bluff, “she turn toward Leroy and waves her arms” (Mason 813), is she beckoning Leroy or just doing her exercise, or “both proclaims her independence and invites Leroy to join her”? (Champion 3).It is so unclear, so we do not know whether their marriage is end or will be start all over

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