Bobbie Ann Mason's “Shiloh,”

This is the question that often arises throughout the story of Shiloh. The author, Bobbie Ann Mason uses her words carefully and links together the language, plot, setting, and theme almost perfectly. She is an author that uses a varied of different symbols from the beginning, to the end of the story. She equally developed all her characters and made sure they fit into the story and had some important in it. Characterization in the story Shiloh is very important. It tells you a little insight on who each character is and how they think. Shiloh has two main characters in it that have an effect on the story and its outcome, Leroy and Norma Jean. Leroy is a man that used to drive big rigs for a living. He was always on the road, until one day he got into a bad accident and hurt his leg. Now Leroy sits at home and always tells his wife Norma Jean that he is going to build her a log cabin. Leroy feels sorry for him and doesn't want to get another job. He is content in staying home and doing woman-like roles around the house. He tells her that there is nothing he can do that won't hurt his leg. She uses these events and tells the story of how they are growing apart, and how Norma Jean is changing and Leroy is staying the same. The writer relates the surroundings to each setting, to what is going on in the plot. All in all Shiloh is a story that gets to the point, but as the same time tells you it in detail. Norma Jean realized this and Leroy did not. Norma Jean was almost turning into what Marilyn Monroe became to be, a young woman who valued her youth, and was very independent. This was symbolic of their relationship. This setting is significant to the text in that it is a battlefield where thousands of people lost their life. The writer goes on about the tragic incident that happens with their child at such a young age. When Norma says, "You ought to try standing up all day behind a cosmetics counter. Through-out the story you have a narrator that who really try's to keep things simple but explain events in detail. Leroy by staying home and doing what is normally a woman's job, while Norma ...