Shiloh

Shiloh

There are several elements of literature that can be analyzed when discussing a good short or long story. The elements are plot, characterization, theme, setting, point of view, irony and symbolism. I read the short story Shiloh and have chosen to discuss the plot of this story. This is a great story expressing the way miscommunication in a marriage can tear the marriage apart.

This is story is told in the first person by Leroy Moffitt. He is the main character who deals with conflicts within himself, his wife, and the environment around him. Shiloh first begins discussing how Norma Jean Moffitt (one of the main characters) is working at transforming her body by excessively working out. Leroy Mallard, her husband, had been a truck driver 15 years of their marriage. Now he is no longer driving truck, has suffered a highway injury to his leg and is in a wheel chair at home.

The first conflict in this story is between Leroy and his distance from his wife for such a long time. Mrs. Moffitt has been trying to cope with her husbands’ absence by doing other activities such as: working out, going back to school, and visiting with her mother. Another conflict resides within Leroy himself. He has not been there for his wife and he is trying to make it up to her in any way he can. This couple has been through the loss of an infant child in addition to Leroy’s absence. This is another issue that is causing them to experience the conflicts they do. Mr. and Mrs. Moffitt do not speak of this lost child, which causes more conflict between their marriage together. Leroy, once being settled at home with nothing to do, began to work with his hands to construct or design objects. He wanted to build his wife a log cabin as he was making replicas out of toothpicks. I think him wanting to build this house is to prove to himself and his wife that he can still be productive and good for something. The relationship Leroy has with Norma Jean’s mother is quite different. Any time she comes around, he makes jokes instead of having real conversation with her. I think he makes the jokes to ease the tension and to not address real issues that are present. Leroy has also stated that all those years driving in the same neighborhood he did not take the time to notice how much it had changed. This to me represents what routine can do to a person. Leroy was so used to driving the same way, the same time each week that he does not even look out the window at his surroundings. He would find himself getting in the car and driving around the neighborhood but not knowing exactly where he was because it had changed so much.

The conflicts with Norma Jean are major throughout this story. Mrs. Moffett being virtually alone for 15 years has made her experience internal conflicts that are never spoke of. She has made realizations long before Leroy even notices anything is terribly wrong. A cause of this is because neither of these two speaks of their lost child. It is just shut away for both of them to have deep thoughts and keep inside. Norma Jean has felt she has been controlled by everybody else her whole life except her. This is what she comes to realize after her mother caught her smoking and then proceeded to scold her about it. She also realizes this after