Catonious Yarbrough
Rough Draft
In the story Shiloh by Bobbie Ann Mason, tells a story about a marriage that is in shambles. In the story, a character named Leroy which is the spouse in the relationship who takes on the more female role. Despite of his husband injuries, he is at home and not working, smokes weed a lot, and is very child like in his idea of making a log cabin.
Norma’s attitude in the marriage is rather passive similar to a typical male which shows that she does not care about Leroy. One could see that Norma becomes distant due to lost of their child. Usually when a family lose a child there is a long mourning period, but however Norma seems to loathe Leroy secretly because the lost of their child. ” Leroy remembers Norma Jean standing catatonically beside him in the hospital and himself thinking: Who is this strange girl? He had forgotten who she was. Now scientists are saying that crib death is caused by a virus. Nobody knows anything, Leroy thinks. The answers are always changing” (Mason 26). Norma’s attitude towards Leroy continues to grow distant the longer he stays home. Though Leroy is trying to make the relationship work while he is at home, Norma now seems to play the role of Leroy fifteen years ago. “Before his accident, when Leroy came home he used to stay in the house with Norma Jean, watching TV in bed and playing cards. She would cook fried chicken, picnic ham, chocolate pie-all his favorites. Now he is home alone much of the time. In the mornings, Norma Jean disappears, leaving a cooling place in the bed. She eats a cereal called Body Buddies, and she leaves the bowl on the table, with the soggy tan balls floating in a milk puddle. He sees things about Norma Jean that he never realized before” (Mason 54). This shows that Leroy constant absence has taken a toll on his marriage.
Leroy use of marijuana has taken a toll on his marriage because he is simply bored being at home. Leroy constantly being at home can be a...