Summary Of Shiloh By Bobbie Ann Mason

Leroy and Norma Jean are seemingly a normal couple, which is gathered from the first few sentences from the book, "Shiloh and other short stories." However, as the story progresses, little evidences of their problematic marriage begin to shine through. The writer, Bobbie Ann Mason shows that by Leroy and Norma Jean ignoring their problems, their marriage is falling apart.
An example of Leroy and Norma Jean sweeping their problems under the rug is when Norma Jean's mother caught her smoking. "'I didn't hear her coming. I was standing here puffing away pretty as you please,' Norma Jean says, wiping her eyes. 'I knew it would happen sooner or later," says Leroy, putting his arm around her" (Mason). They continue talking and brush the subject aside by some light banter. This example demonstrates one of the many instances of them either joking about or just not mentioning their problems.
All marriages have problems, but the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy marriage is how the two partners deal with the problems they face. A healthy marriage will talk about the problem at hand and discuss ways to deal with it; while an unhealthy marriage will ignore the problem or accuse the other
Both of them have grown and changed; however, they have not done it together therefore they do not have much in common anymore. Their conversations have gone stale. Leroy realizes something is wrong and turns to her mother, Mabel, for help. "One day, Mabel is there before Norma Jean gets home from work, and Leroy finds himself confiding in her. Mabel, he realizes, must know Norma Jean better than he does" (Mason). While confiding in another about your marriage problems is not inherently wrong, Leroy had failed to discuss things with his wife first, this should have been his first