Opposite Roles In Shiloh

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Opposite Roles In a society today where the assumed norms have been the structure laid out in front of us since the beginning of man where there were hunters and gatherers. Essentially the hunters were the men and the gatherers were the women. In the story, “Shiloh,” this norm has been changed and we explore the sequences of events where the marriage of a man and a woman become immersed in frustrating situations. The role reversals that occur in the story only ignite the fire but, ultimately truth of events from the past test the strength and patience of a husband and wife. The story is told through the narrator Leroy Moffitt. Leroy is a thirty-four years old and is currently unemployed. Leroy use to be a truck driver but, after a physical…show more content…
In the assumed norm of our society today this is not what is expected of a woman and so the author attempts to project an image of strength or dominance over her partner, Leroy. As Norma is exercising in front of her husband, “Standing with her legs apart, she reminds Leroy of Wonder Woman.” (Mason 355). Since Leroy is taking “physical therapy to regain his muscle strength he is projected by the author as the weaker more fragile partner in the relationship. The role reversals occurring in the story are ultimately what cause the frustration and friction in the marriage. Leroy describes how his neighborhood has changed throughout the years and “that in all the years he was on the road he never took time to examine anything.” (Mason 356) He reminds his wife that “he would build her a new home one day.” (Mason 356). That’s a promise he had to Norma Jean when they got pronounced husband and wife. As he stays home and his wife goes off to work “he has felt unusually tender about his wife and guilty over his long absences.” (Mason 356). However, in those years he’s been driving the truck and being away, “Norma Jean has never complained about his traveling; she has never made hurtful remarks, like calling his truck a “widow-maker.”(Mason 356).
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