Shiloh (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Bobbie Ann Mason
- First Published: 1980
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism
- Time of Work: The 1970's
- Setting: Kentucky
- Principal Characters: Leroy Moffitt, Norma Jean, Mabel Beasley
- Genres: Short fiction, Domestic realism
- Subjects: 1970’s, Husbands, Self-discovery, United States or Americans, Wives, Gender roles, Marriage, Midwest, Feminism, Divorce, Small-town life, Disabilities or physically challenged persons, Women’s rights, Kentucky, Happiness, Log cabins or houses, Bodybuilding or body builders
- Locales: Kentucky
The Story
Leroy Moffitt watches his wife, Norma Jean, building up her pectorals by lifting dumbbells. After injuring his leg in a tractor-trailer accident, he does not want to make any more long hauls. Considering what to do next, he builds things from craft kits, including a miniature log cabin. Leroy notices that Norma Jean often seems disappointed to find him at home when she returns from work. He wonders if it reminds her of their marriage before he went on the road and of their son, Randy, who died of sudden infant death syndrome. They have never talked about Randy's...
[The entire page is 1524 words long]
