The short story "Shiloh" written by Bobbie Mason describes a marriage through the view of Leroy Moffit. At the start of the story Leroy talks about the years he spent as a truck driver. Leroy mentioned that throughout his career and in his life he left a lot of things unnoticed. He also started to feel guilty for missing out on so much time with his wife. When his wife Norma Jean is described the first description is her lifting weights and working on her pectorals.
Even though Leroy had been in a trucking accident that limited him to very little activity, Norma Jean was there working out and going to school while Leroy sat aside working with craft kits and dreaming about building a house for the two of them. I started to see that Norma Jean is more of the "man" of the house in the sense that she is actually doing something with her self with working out and attending school.
Leroy although seems to think that even though he has been absent from his wife for many years while he was working is now back in her life and the man of the house. He talks about building her this log house and says that he wan'ts to build her a "real house" when Norma Jean I think desperately wan'ts Leroy to step up as the husband and take charge of the house they are already in and work as hard or harder as Norma has to be the strong one in the relationship.
From reading your post it seems that Leroy wants to be the man of the house, but from what happened in the accident he is unable to do his day to day routine. Norma Jean has to be strong for him or it could make him feel weaker or lesser of a man. I think your material is really good, I would just add some meat to it like literary devices and some paradox.
ReplyDeleteokay! thank you, I still am trying to figure this whole reader response stuff out.
DeleteBree, “the view of Leroy Moffit” = point of view of Leroy Moffit ☺
Delete“At the start of the story Leroy talks about the years he spent as a truck driver . . .” A beginning that provides background info is called the story’s “exposition”
“Leroy mentioned” = Leroy mentions (always present tense)
Good observation – initial characterization of Norma Jean shows her working on her body and mentions her “pecs”. Why/how is this important? Is this a textual “signal” that the reader should interpret Norma Jean in a particular way?
“Norma Jean is more of the "man" of the house in the sense that she is actually doing something with her self with working out and attending school.” Why/how is this significant? Without explanation, it remains summary rather than analysis.
“when Norma Jean I think desperately wan'ts Leroy to step up as the husband and take charge of the house they are already in and work as hard or harder as Norma has to be the strong one in the relationship.” The “I think” suggests Reader Response, but thus far, you haven’t really established a theoretical structure. Here, for instance, you would need to explain where/how the text “signals” the reader to think Norma Jean desires this and/or how your personal experience/beliefs/value might impose on your interpretation of Norma Jean. You might also consider her name (Marilyn Monroe’s real name).
Thus far you’ve got a lot of summary here. The more you bring in the concrete concepts/language of the theory you’re using (i.e., “gaps”, textual “cues” or “signals”, “ideal reader”, etc.) the more you’ll move toward the analytical. I hope the feedback proves useful!
A