Character Sketch For Shiloh Essay Research Paper

Character Sketch For Shiloh Essay, Research Paper

Character study for Shiloh

Character Sketch

In Bobbie Ann Mason s narrative Shiloh she presents the character of Norma Jean

as holding a strong personality but an emptiness deep within. Norma Jean is presented as

a strong character on the exterior in the gap of the narrative. She lifts three-pound

dumbbells to tune-up, the advancements to a twenty-pound barbell. ( Mason p. 46 ) .

However as the narrative progresses she exhibits the emptiness which she feels. One twenty-four hours

Leroy arrives place from a thrust and finds Norma Jean in cryings. ( Mason p. 50 ) . Norma

Jean feels an emptiness toward her asleep kid, her hubby, and besides her female parent.

Her emptiness toward her hubby may be seen in the manner she interacts with him. She

feels really uncomfortable when she is around him. Norma Jean is ever seeking to happen

something for him to make. When he arrived back place Mason states the she seems a

little defeated. ( Mason p. 47 ) . The emptiness she feels toward her female parent is

presented in the feelings she has toward her. Her asleep boy symbolizes her emptiness

because of his decease.

In the beginning of the narrative Norma Jean tries to hide the emptiness that she

has felt for so many old ages. Mason first presents her as a strong character by explicating

how she works out and would wish to go stronger. She may go stronger

physically, but nil can get the better of the emptiness which she feels. Norma Jean tries to

aid her hubby acquire a occupation, and she gives him a assortment of thoughts for this. She does non

enjoy being around him because their relationship makes her experience uncomfortable. Mason

nowadayss Norma Jean and Leroy as holding many differences. The two do non cognize how

to discourse their jobs, hence Norma Jean conceals all of the emptiness she feels

inside her. Norma Jean feels an emptiness towards her hubby because he has been

gone so long. She has learned how to populate without him but, the emptiness settles in due

to this. Norma Jean does non cognize how to show her feeling of emptiness to her

hubby. Due to this, Norma Jean lets her emptiness

get the better of the strength that she is

perceived as holding and decides to stop her matrimony.

As the narrative returns, Norma Jean s emptiness begins to get the better of her. She feels

more of an emptiness toward her female parent. She feels as though her female parent, Mabel, is

ever pecking her about something ; whether it be smoking or that her wash is stacking

up. The scene in which her female parent catches her smoke and Leroy arrives place to happen

her weeping symbolizes her emptiness. She feels overwhelmed when her female parent starts

speaking about Leroy and Norma Jean taking a trip to Shiloh. Norma Jean has no apparent

ground to travel at that place. When her female parent starts coercing her about taking the trip, it makes

the feeling of emptiness overcome her because of all the emotions she is experiencing. Norma

Jean believes that Mabel brings up treatments merely to do her emptiness show through.

Mabel tells Norma Jean about a babe who has its leg chewed of by a Canis familiaris, due to its

parents neglect. This treatment makes Norma Jean feel an emptiness in herself for her

asleep boy.

A feeling of emptiness is created through the decease of her boy due to the emotions

which she felt. Norma Jean did non experience comfy plenty to portion her ideas of her

boy s decease with her hubby. After her boy s decease, she bottled up her emotions and

ne’er radius of them once more. They ne’er speak about their memories of Randy, which

hold about faded, but now that Leroy is home all the clip, they sometimes wonder if

one of them should advert the kid. ( Mason p. 47 ) . Norma Jean could non discourse the

jobs of her boies decease with anyone. She let these feelings take over her life and

make an emptiness.

Throughout the narrative it is seen how the sequence of events that happen get down to

unfold the empty feeling that Norma Jean feels but how she is besides portrayed as a strong

adult female. Sometimes no affair how much strength one has, a failing may fall over

them. Norma Jean s failing was the emptiness that she felt in her life. She did non allow

anyone know that she felt such an emptiness and this is what destroyed her and her

matrimony in the terminal.