Shiloh Tennessee Case

Shiloh Tennessee is known for its National Military Park. The Shiloh National Military Park sitting on the battle field that took place there in April 1862 (NSP, 1). The Battle of Shiloh was one of the most extensive and bloodiest battles that took place in the south. "No solider who took part in the two day's engagement at Shiloh ever spoiled a fight again" (NSP, 1). Throughout the short story it is constantly talking about how important Shiloh to the couple in question, which is Leroy and Norma Jean. Bobbie Ann Mason, the author of Shiloh, is constantly stressing through Norma Jean's mother how important Shiloh is and how much it helped her marriage but the couple found the exact opposite.

Bobbie Ann Mason was interviewed by the Missouri review she said her inspiration for Shiloh came about because of a mid-life identity crisis. She then went to a writes seminar and got the help that she needed to help her write this story (MV, 1). Mason used resources and her own life crisis to help her write the short story. Mason said to life event that showed the gap between the roles of men and women also contributed to her writing this piece of literature.

The major theme in Shiloh is the gender issue that is going on. In the beginning of the story you begin to see that the roles for men and women and reversed in this marriage. Leroy got hurt on the job and he can not drive his truck anymore and he comes up with a million excuses why he can not work. Where as when he lost his job Norma Jean had to get a job and she is now the bread winner. She also starts to work out and take over that 'macho' role. She takes the weighs that Leroy is supposed to use for physical therapy and becomes obsessed with making herself tough. She even goes as far as saying "I'd give anything if I could just get these muscles to where they're really hard"( Bernardo, 1). Leroy on the other hand has taken over more of the female role and began to take up needle point. In today's marriages statics are proving that women are taking on much more of that bread winning role. You commonly see the man staying at home while the women go out and work. Where as just a few decades ago this was not the case at all. Men had that dominate role. They were the ones that made the money. While the women had to stay home and clean the house, and take care of this children. Studies have shown that this movement that changed this started in the northern states, where as the south you still see now a days where the men still expect dinner to be ready when they get home and actually would rather not see their wife work. Society is changing and research shows that in a couple of decades it will be almost impossible to live on just one income.

As Leroy was sitting at home pondering on his life, he constantly says to his wife that