Shiloh By Bobbie Ann Mason: An Analysis

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Tiffany French Dr. Belford English 1102 26 Aug 2015 The change When one comes into the middle of their lives, it is a good time to sit down and reflect on the position one is at. What is good, what makes one happy, what is bad or disappointing and especially what could use improving. In the story of Shiloh by Bobbie Ann Mason we learn about the life of Leroy Moffitt and how it is time for Leroy to look around and be a little more observant of his life and marriage than he ever had before. Leroy decided the best idea for him would be to change his setting. Leroy made the decision to change his setting all together; he wanted to build his wife, Norma Jean a new home, a log cabin to be precise. Leroy had a short term goal as well, to…show more content…
Their lives right now are distant and lacking in conversation. They had their own day to day routine of small tasks to keep busy. Leroy did not leave very often except to drive aimlessly around town, where as Norma Jean is gone most of the day. Even when Leroy said they were together it felt like Norma Jean was distant. (DiYanni 71) Mabel comes over to see Norma Jean almost every day. Mabel tried to convince Leroy that maybe changing both of their settings for a day would help their marriage. Norma Jean kept hinting about the impossibilities and her disapproval of the idea of the log cabin by saying “Like heck you are,” to Leroy after he has once again stated that he was going to build her a new log cabin as soon as he received his plans for it.(DiYanni 70) Mabel soon followed Leroy up with the suggestion to visit Shiloh, which is in Tennessee. It is an old battleground from the Civil War and it holds a significance because it is where Mabel got married. (DiYanni 72) Mabel's suggestions hopes to provide Leroy and Norma Jean a new setting for a day and hopefully a new beginning for them as it was for…show more content…
Leroy tried to persuade Norma Jean to stay with him, not to just let her go as she wished. As Leroy knows his marriage is ending, he decides that he is not going to give up on his wife. Leroy is determined to keep Norma Jean in his life and he quickly forms a plan in his mind to do so. Leroy makes a plan to do something bigger and better for Norma Jean other than to build her the log cabin he finally realized Norma Jean never actually wanted. Even at this beautiful place Norma Jean could not help but be honest with Leroy about how she was feeling inside. In Leroy's case, no matter what his setting was, whether it was a dream of building a new house for them to live in or a simple day with in an unfamiliar place, his future would

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