FREE ESSAY ON SHILOH

SHILOH

The setting in the short story "Shiloh" by Bobbie Ann Mason works well to accentuate the
theme of the story. The theme portrayed by Mason is that most people change along with
their environment, with the exception of the few who are unwilling to adapt making it
difficult for things such as marriage to work out successfully. These difficulties are
apparent in Norma Jean and Leroy's marriage. As Norma Jean advances herself, their
marriage ultimately collapses due to Leroy's unwillingness to adapt with her and the
changing environment.
Leroy Moffit is a truck driver, and over the years as his wife Norma Jean is adapting to
the changing community his adaptation to things consist of pretty much the way he drives
his truck. During this time Norma Jean is left at home to fend for herself and learn the
workings of nearly being a single woman. Norma Jean started to play the organ again,
practice weight lifting, and take night classes. When Leroy came home after years of
being saturated in his work he expected things to be like they were in the beginning of
their marriage. As time goes on at home, Leroy takes notice to Norma Jean's keen, and
independent understanding of what goes on around her. He observes and is afraid to admit
that she has had to be her own husband. Over the years Norma Jean developed a structured
routine that does not include him. As Leroy sits around and plays with a model log cabin
set Norma is constantly working to advance and adapt herself with the changing
environment. Leroy slowly falls behind causing the marriage to pull apart. 
The small town in which they live is continually growing through housing developments,
shopping centers, and population. Leroy took a drive one day around his community,
suddenly he realized how much it had changed over the years and yet he failed to notice,
as he failed to notice Norma Jean changing. As Leroy remained stationary the community
and his wife continued advancing together adapting to the changes of the working world.
Setting also comes into play by supporting the theme in the latter part of the story when
Leroy and Norma Jean travel to a civil war battleground named Shiloh. On this ground a
battle took place due to the clashing of two sides. One side was unwilling to adapt,
similar to Leroy's unwillingness. While they are at the battle ground Norma Jean tells
Leroy that their marriage is over, like she is ending a war that has been going on for
too long. The setting of the battleground accentuates the decline of Norma Jean and
Leroy's marriage ultimately coming to an end.
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 that requires congruence in working with each other and
advancing at a pace similar to the environment around you cannot be successful if one is
not willing to adapt.