Norman Jean Moffit, an ordinary women trying to find herself
Have you ever gotten to the point in your life where you realize that you could do "bad all by yourself"? Many people come to find that out late in their lives, just like Norman Jean Moffit from the story "Shiloh", by Bobbie Ann Mason. Norma Jean is using repression in order to combat the loss of her child, which was the only thing that held her and Leroy together. The first being, she uses her newfound self-empowerment in order to take her mind off her troubles. Second, not once does she ever mention her deceased son by name. Lastly, she feels as though her mother and her husband are smothering her and she wants out. Norma Jean from the beginning of their relationship was always dependant on her mother and her husband Leroy because of her lack of confidence in herself, thanks in part to her husband's big rig accident, Norma Jean found self-empowerment. In the beginning, Norma Jean had given up on playing the piano, but her husband buys her an organ for Christmas and she immediately took t
"She won't leave me alone-you won't leave me alone. It don't leave you, she told him once. The fact that Norma Jean feels that she was being smothered by her mother and husband and wants out, shows that repression has helped her to better herself, but she still is troubled inside. "she inspects the closets and then the plants, informing Norma Jean when a plant is droopy or yellow" (294) With that in mind, Norma Jean realizes that her mother and her husband are trying to control every aspect of her life. " (301) When Norma Jean and Leroy are alone in each other's company, she comes to realize that they have nothing in common anymore and that he is holding her back from her true potential. It is apparent by the end of the story that she is at the point of mental breakdown. Her mother is constantly over at her house and snooping through their things. From this analysis of her she never mentions the name of her dead infant son, shows that she is repressing her feelings of insecurity and her pain from loosing Randy. "They never speak about their memories of Randy, which have almost faded," (292) Norma Jean's mother, Mabel, makes her feel guilty about her baby's death, even though her baby died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. She finally comes to the decision of asking for a divorce in a very subtle way.
Common topics in this essay:
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Jean Leroy,
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,
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deceased son,
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loss child,
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Acceptance Essays
