The Character of Norma Jean in Shilo
Norma Jean Moffit is a major character in Bobbie Ann Mason's "Shilo" who undergoes a profound, yet subtle change. She had to marry at the age of eighteen to the man who got her pregnant, and in a cruel twist of fate, the child dies suddenly of crib death. Now at the age of 34, she is ready to have the life she feels she always should have had, however she is stuck in a loveless marriage to a man whose interests are the opposite of hers. Her decision to leave her husband, Leroy, at the end of the story seemed a long time in coming, and various aspects of her character revealed that desire. These aspects of her character were her devotion to self-improvement, her inability to communicate with
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It may also reflect a desire to find hobbies outside of the home so she can get some time to herself. One suspects the underlying reason for this commitment to self-improvement, however, is to prepare herself for the eventual split from Leroy.
Both of the main characters in this story, Norma Jean and Leroy, have a problem discussing their feelings with one another. The dialogue in this story is a good example of two people who have conversations, but never communicate. The most significant event in both Norma Jean's and Leroy's lives was the death of their son -- whose birth was the primary reason for their marriage -- but is never discussed between them. Their discussions are usually over trivial matters, and their inner most thoughts and concerns go unresolved. It is as if both know that if they talked about their son's death, they will come to the conclusion that their marriage is meaningless, and their marriage would unravel.
Finally, it becomes evident that Norma Jean is less than pleased with Leroy's return from trucking, which is something that Leroy picks up on early in the story. Leroy realizes that Norma Jean does not seem to celebrate his homecoming, and she seems disappointed each time she finds him at home. Norma Jean herself, when breaking up with Leroy, says, "In some ways, a woman prefers a man who wanders." (paragraph 144). This reflects the side of Norma Jean's character that would rather be left alone.
In
Throughout the novel Ordinary People, by Judith Guest, relationships between characters are emphasized and evolved.. Two characters with a changing relationship are Beth and Calvin. Both parents to a now deceased child and a child with severe depression; they grieve in different ways that do not appear to work for the family they are trying to hold together. The differences shown in Beth and Calvin’s grieving process has led them to a downfall within their family.
Unlike Ed, her “hot tempered” nature and her inability to empathise with her son, has meant that she is unable to adapt to the demands of Christopher’s social barriers. This is evident in a letter in chapter 157 where she states “ Maybe if things had been differant, maybe if you'd been differant i might have been better at it. But thats just the way things turned out”. The repetition of ‘maybe’ demonstrates the initial complexity of human communication which in Christophers case, was further complicated by his social demands. Through Mark Haddon’s incorporation of a letter in this chapter, the difficulties in human communication is shown as his mother has resorted to indirect communication in explaining her reasoning for his abandonment. Although Judy lovingly and diligently cares for Christopher she struggles with the frustration she feels as a result of not always being able to understand her son’s behaviour. This ideology is further reiterated through the comparison in the letter between Ed and Judy seen in “Your father is a much more pacient person. He just gets on with things.. But that’s not the way i am…” Haddon’s characterisation of Christopher’s parents presents to the responder the conflicting side of love, the multi-faceted and complicated nature of human interaction, and the opposing approaches of both parents in communicating and dealing with Christopher’s condition, as part of their
In doing this, they instill her with a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. It strengthens the skills that she will need as an adult. Jeannette becomes adept at setting goals and achieving them through independence and self-control.
In the film Norma Rae, the textile workers were unsatisfied with many aspects of their Capitalistic work environment. They fought to form a union so that they could change the undesirable characteristics to better meet their needs. Political, environmental and cultural processes all played a part in the workers struggle to form an effective union.
Whether you agree with Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, or Erik Erickson, theoretical approaches to human nature all agree that early childhood years play a major part of our conscious and unconscious decisions we make. For instance, even though both Wes Moore’s were brought up without a father in their home, the reality is that these absences meant something different to each of them. For Wes 1 his father died an unnecessary death due to lack of training of emergency personnel. He remembered his dad as being compassionate, loving, and kind. Wes 1 always knew that if given the choice, his father would have stood by him throughout his life. Wes 2, however, is left with negative fatherly feelings. In the three times they were together, his own father acted as though he didn’t recognize him. What’s worse is that Wes 2 knew that his dad didn’t want to know him, he chose to leave. That left not only a hole where there should have been a very important role model, it left rejection in its place. When Wes 1 was visiting Wes 2 in the jail and asked about the impact his father had on his life, the second Wes said, “Your father wasn’t there because he couldn’t be, my father wasn’t there because he chose not to be. We’re going to mourn their absence in different ways” (Moore page 3). Later in the chapter Wes 1 gets emotional thinking about how he misses his father. He was left,
Leroy spent fifteen years of his life as a truck driver. It was up until he got into a bad accident and a steel pin was inserted into his leg that prevented him from doing his passion. During this time, Leroy was never home for too long, always in different settings because his job demanded it. Now, being incapacitated, Leroy is home for long periods of time with his wife, Norma Jean.
Junior is very observant and he describes his mother in a detailed way. He deposits emphasis on his mother’s hands. “One thing about Mami, her palms never sweated.” (27) Junior’s mother is a very lovely person, pretty and knows how to take good care of his sons. In contrast, the Puerto Rican woman is described oppositely of his mother. “She had papery hands, and when she rubbed the towel on my chest, she did it hard, like I was a bumper she was waxing.”(35) According to Junior, the Puerto Rican woman is careless and is not lovely as his mother. This increases his disgust towards his father for being with such a woman that will never be like his mother. This fact supports the idea that his son-father relationship is related to the Freud’s Oedipal Conflict.
Leroy and Norma Jean are both victims of rapid social change. Norma Jean was the most affected by her surroundings comparing to Leroy. Norma Jean had to marry at the age of eighteen to the man who got her pregnant, and in a cruel twist of fate, the child dies of sudden infant death syndrome. This event from her life prevents her to look towards the
The following passage is an excerpt from Katherine Anne Porter’s short story “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall.” Read the passage carefully. Then write an essay in which you analyze how such choices as figurative language, imagery, and dialogue develop the complex emotions the character is feeling.
Mrs. Dietrich often wants to ask Nola questions, but refrains from it. Nola does try to discuss the subject but initially she does not explain her feelings. Then she simply leaves in the middle of the discussion. The chance to communicate is lost. The two still do not understand the other person's side. They never close the gap if they do not recognize that good communication is a result of telling their feelings, listening, and understanding.
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.
How does Iola’s perspective of the role of slavery and race change throughout the novel?
Meanwhile, Norma Jean’s activities have her expanding and growing in broader ways that let her see the bigger picture. For a while, she is content with playing familiar music on the organ, but as she further educates herself, she does not want to play it anymore (309). She is enthralled with her college class and building muscle with her weight lifting class. She is constantly improving and strengthening her mind and body while Leroy is just observing, and content to stay the same, and when he does go out of his comfort zone, it is not in leaps and bounds like Norma Jean’s activities. All of her
When we look at this piece, we tend to see the differences in ways a subject can be organized and displayed. This assemblage by Betye Saar shows us how using different pieces of medium can bring about the wholeness of the point of view in which the artist is trying to portray. So in part, this piece speaks about stereotyping and how it is seen through the eyes of an artist.
The latest comics in the St. Augustine record were amazing! And Ms. Lockhorn were at it again. They are always arguing, and have never been or said anything nice to each other their whole lives. Somehow, they are always coming up with clever things to say about the other spouse. In this latest strip, Ms. Lockhorn was talking with her friend. Leroy was sitting in his chair with a frown on his face. Ms. Lockhorn was talking with her friend about their husbands, and she says that Leroy will never admit that he was wrong about anything. “The last time Leroy admitted he was wrong was when he said ‘I do’” Have you ever wondered why they even stay together? I mean, they are never happy about anything with each other, plus, they are always talking