Shiloh, By Bobbie Ann Mason

Calvin and Hobbes embodied the voice of the Lonely Child is an article written by Libby Hill. In this article, Hill digs deep into the famous comic strips of the 80’s and 90’s, and uses her now adult mind to examine the deeper meanings of the comics and how they shaped her childhood. Hill’s main focus is on the theme of loneliness, and how Calvin is able to find ways to cope with the loneliness that often plagues children in the modern world. As a child, she related to Calvin, because Calvin’s character, despite being complex in nature, was portrayed in such a way so that children could relate to him. As the article progresses, she begins to draw comparisons to reading the strips as a child and then rereading them as an adult, and she explains

Leroy states multiple times throughout the story that he wants to build Norma Jean and himself a log cabin. Hestates to Norma Jean in the story, "I 'm going to build you this house," and "I want to make you a real home"(649). Norma Jean constantly shuts down Leroy with his dreams of building this log cabin. Norma Jean replies to this quote stating "I don 't want tolive in any log cabin" (649). Norma Jean ignores him every time he brings up the idea of this log cabin. She also previously said "They won 't let you build a cabin in any of the new subdivisions" (646). Leroy constantly wants to build this log cabin to fill the emptiness in their marriage, but it would not fulfill what Norma Jean wants in their marriage. Norma Jeans mother, Mabel, also shuts down Leroy 's dream of building this log cabin. Leroy explains to Mabel, "I 'm aiming to build us a log house," "Soon as my plans come" (648). Mabel then replies to him "Like heck you are," "You have to find a job first. Nobody can afford to build now anyway" (649). All Mabel brings up to Leroy, and Norma Jean is to drive to Shiloh and see all of the historic things it has to offer. At the end of the story while Leroy and Norma Jean are in Shiloh, Leroy realizes everything about the log cabin. He finally realizes that building a house out of logs is similarly empty. He also realizes that it was

The poem “Mothers and Daughters” is written by Pat Mora. Pat Mora is a contemporary award winning writer, who writes for children, youngsters and adults. She was born in El Paso, TX in the year 1942. She attains a title of a Hispanic writer; however, the most of her poems are in English. In her literary work, one can observe the different aspects of the immigrants’ lives such as language issues, family relationships, immigrants’ experiences and cultural differences (1187).

For instance, the story begins with Leroy’s wife, Norma Jean, supporting Leroy during his physical therapy sessions while getting in shape herself (616). As well as the fact that Leroy wants to fulfill his promise and build Norma Jean her own house, even if she rejects to the house being a log cabin (617). However, as the story progresses it seems as though Leroy’s love for Norma Jean is not reciprocated. It is also evident that there is an emotional barrier which neither of them wish to cross because of the loss of their infant son (617). Leroy even admits that the loss of a child can cause a marriage to fall apart, but he is still blind to the fact that their marriage had already begun to deteriorate during his long absences. However, he still believes that they can start over and create a better marriage

Marriage is a difficult thing to maintain now-a-days, and it was not much different back in the 80s. Bobbie Ann Mason’s Shiloh tells the story of how, the main character, Leroy slowly realizes that him and his wife, Norma Jean, are drifting apart. The 80s was a time period of expanding poverty, rising social problems, and drastic economic changes. Leroy decided to stay fixated on the past, while Norma Jean accepted the fact that the world is changing and prepared herself for it. Things change over time, and the couple disagreed on a way to enter the new world together.

While James Baldwin’s short story “Sonny’s Blues” depicts the connection between two brothers, Tillie Olsen’s short story “I Stand Here Ironing” represents the bond between a mother and her daughter. Both Baldwin and Olsen focus on family relationships and how emotional support vs neglect have an effect on family members. Also, each author conveys a message of finding self-identity even amidst adversity, while including the symbolism of everyday objects. Furthermore, Baldwin compares light and darkness throughout his story, and Olsen has the mother scrutinize her actions in an interior monologue.

marriage is in a irreconcilable state. The only connection Leroy can forge with his wife is

When weighing the huge debate of fiction versus non-fiction, one must take into account the element of imagination that one is able to use when writing a novel regarding events that have occurred in the past. Shiloh: A Novel, written by Shelby Foote, can use several different components related to fiction in order to help the reader be able to further comprehend what happened at the Battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War without having to explain the actual events by using real historical references.

At first, John from “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Leroy Moffitt from “Shiloh” seem completely different from each other. John is a physician who only believes in what he can physically see, while Leroy is a man lost in his own life, looking for a purpose. John’s wife is very dependent on him, whereas Leroy’s wife Norma Jean has her own life. However, the two seem more alike than first appears. If we compare John and Leroy, we can see both stories demonstrate how husbands can drive their wives away by being too restrictive of them.

The log cabin is connected to the next symbol of the story, Shiloh, the Civil War Battle site. Mabel, Norma Jean’s mother, is constantly trying to talk her daughter and son-in-law to go visit the town from basically the second

No matter the era, location, or even times of the darkest personal conflict, the power of love tends to always prevail. The power behind the love of family in particular seems to be the greatest. Despite the differences in the relationships, the deep bond of brotherhood in “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin shares some of the same levels of devotion that is present in “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty which is about the arduous trek a grandmother endures for her grandson. Although the stories differ in certain areas, both “Sonny’s Blues” and “A Worn Path” emphasizes the dedication one has both emotionally and physically and the importance of family bonds when someone they love encounters challenging and life threatening times by the displays of devotion to help the ones they love.

In Bobbie Ann Mason’s “Shiloh”, after Leroy’s accident in his truck, the pleasant illusion that he is in a perfectly functioning marriage is shattered leaving the reality that he and Norma Jean have ongoing issues that have been hidden and ignored for the majority of their marriage. The log cabin he never builds, the couple’s new hobbies, the baby they lost, the dust ruffle Mabel makes for them, and the trip they take to Shiloh ultimately cause Norma Jean to decide to leave Leroy. “Shiloh” is laden with symbols for the state of Norma Jean and Leroy’s marriage, and each situation introduced since Leroy’s accident forces them to look at how little they know about each other.

          The story of “Shiloh” is an example of what happens when a person is unwilling to adapt to his or her environment, ultimately resulting in a conflict and an ending. As Norma Jean adapts to her environment, Leroy is unwilling to adapt and is left behind resulting as the end of their marriage. The setting in the story of “Shiloh” supports the theme of the story by accentuating on what the characters do throughout the sequence of the story. An institution such as marriage

“Shiloh” is a short story written by Bobbie Ann Mason in 1982. The story is very detailed and includes many arguments of the era’s expectations that relate to the story. Many of us may question “Was Leroy and Norma Jean’s marriage actually secure love and did it seem like love in the 1980’s anymore and why did it all change? Did Norma Jean just reject Leroy’s creativity and love? The character’s marriage is what ties everything together but is also destroyed within time. In the story Norma Jean, wife of Leroy, starts to grow but leaves Leroy behind. Due to Norma Jean’s pregnancy they were married at a young age and stayed married with fading love. It was miraculous to Leroy that there marriage was still united since the death of their first and only child 15 years ago, since most marriages had a higher risk of getting divorce upon the death of a son or daughter. However, Leroy and Norma Jean didn’t divorce because they ignored and hid reality in the deepest parts of their hearts. Norma Jean’s leaving in the marriage, was predictable but surprising. Norma Jean expressed fatigue and annoyment in her marriage with Leroy however she then felt empowerment to fulfill her life as an independent woman by basically erasing Leroy out of the picture. If Norma Jean was able to leave everything she ever had their must of have been factors to influence her decision and certainly a reason because Norma Jean knew she was the only thing Leroy had left to count on.

American history teaches us that, going west has always been a regarded as progression. From the earliest settlers to the “new land” to the idea of Manifest Destiny, progressive movement and thinking has always traveled west. The west is always thought of as being more liberal more free. “True West” A compelling play written by Sam Shepard, developed characters that “struggle to define and assert their identities.” <1702> By using the idea of going west Shepard’s play’s “ present a picture of America torn between its idealistic values and the painful realties of frontier paved over for a parking lot, and cowboys enclosed in a move and television screen.”<1702> By comparing and contrasting the lead characters Austin and Lee, Shepard shows the reader that “going west” does not always mean a change in the right direction.