Norma Jean and Leroy Moffitt: The Long Gone Couple

Change in one’s life is the ultimate predecessor to unhappiness and in Mason’s “Shiloh” the categorical grouping of people into subdivisions. The reader clearly sees the two main figures start fresh; but sadly, in different subdivisions. Further, through history these subdivisions are formed and from previous groupings one is shunned. This is the case for the couple Leroy and Norma Jean. Once a seemingly “happy” family, tragedy tore them apart and thus inspired change. From this change, the reader is a witness to the ultimate separation of the couple through each individual’s evolution into new subdivisions.

            From the beginning of the story, the reader notices the lifestyle change of both Norma Jean and Leroy. Norma Jean is incredibly concerned with body-building and thus seems to spend most of her time, “working on her pectorals.”(1) Even in serious conversation about the possibility of an affair, she seems to be more concerned about her biceps. Further, Norma Jean stops playing the organ, makes unusual foods, and is very interested in composition, all things that drive her, “miles away” (94) from Leroy. However, Norma Jean’s change is matched by Leroy’s disregard for anything but crafts and his hope of constructing a log cabin. Instead of finding a job and preserving a semblance of a marriage, Leroy spends his time bothering Norma Jean while she, “prefers a man who wanders” (144). The beginnings of their new classifications are rooted in the character’s metamorphosis within the first few pages of the story.  

Although Leroy feels that, “they are waking up out of a dream together” (9), it is evident that their dream is only continuing on its winding and never-meeting path. Due to Norma Jean’s evident change, Leroy realizes that he no longer knows Norma Jean very well. Furthermore, as he realizes his estrangement from his wife he feels, “like a criminal rehearsing for a robbery” (55), as he begins to venture into her newly formed subdivision. In an effort to become reacquainted, Leroy takes Mabel’s suggestion and takes Norma Jean to Shiloh. Their “vacation” to Shiloh clearly conveys the different subdivisions that they are living in and how life together will no longer work.

Just like the battles that once happened at Shiloh to achieve a new sense of freedom, the battle between Leroy and Norma Jean’s subdivisions does somewhat of the same. Sitting in the cemetery, “a green slope dotted with white markers, which looks like a subdivision” (151), the climax of the story takes place. The final separation of each character into their correct subdivision is clearly portrayed as Norma Jean runs to the river and turns toward Leroy who is unable to keep up with her. In essence, Leroy is restricted by his newly found boundary as the white markers of the green slope of his subdivision keep him contained. As Leroy meditates on the,  “inner workings of his marriage and how they have escaped him” (155), Norma Jean is free and comfortable in her new grouping as she is doing what she loves; working on her chest muscles. At this point, it is apparent that both characters are suited to the subdivisions that they were destined to find from the beginning of the story.

            As Mason’s story comes full circle, Leroy finally comes to comprehend that the log cabin he once imagined building was, “the dumbest idea he could have had” (155). Unfortunately, this realization came too late as Norma Jean had already passed over into her new sector. This recognition could have been the glue to hold their marriage together; however, ultimately, the destiny of both characters did not allow for their union. Plus, “the answers are always changing” (29), and a little change is what they both needed to realize that their subdivisions no longer coincided.  

            Discussion Questions:

1.)    Do you think there is an underlying reason for Norma Jean’s obsession with body-building?

2.)    Do you think the lose of their son ultimately led to their separation? If not, then what?

3.)    Why do you think Leroy never gets a new job? (Especially since Norma Jean makes it clear that she would rather have him out of the house for awhile.)

4.)    Do you think this story has anything to do with the American Dream?

a.       Do you see Norma Jean/ the story itself as being a figure of feminism?

Reflections on our Everyday Blindness

            Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral”, portrays the common perception one may feel when meeting a handicapped person. Carver clearly points out that on first meeting a handicapped person, one may degrade that being to be almost “subhuman.” While this perception is very wrong, most do not know how to handle these types of situations, as we are not encountered with them everyday. Despite my harsh critique of the husband, I can easily relate to this story after working at S.T.A.R.S this summer. S.T.A.R.S. is a learning home for people who cannot easily take care of themselves due to car accidents, blindness, and other tragedies that have been placed upon them. This summer I came to be very good friends with a woman there who was blind. I went through the same journey with her as the husband did with Robert in the story.

            Upon meeting Carver’s character, the husband, I was completely horrified by his attitude toward a man who has in fact had a harder life considering his blindness. My anger is completely summed up as the husband admits how, “his being blind bothered me…a blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to.”(1) However, as the story progresses, the reader is confronted with a new persona that one may credit to Robert. In comparison with my journey this summer I can admit, that at first, I was incredibly nervous. I wanted to make sure I did not talk to this woman as if she were inferior to me; thus, I wanted her to feel that I respected her. Moreover, I did not want to make comments that involved seeing something. In Carver’s story, I was inflamed as the husband rudely asks Robert, “What side of the train did you sit on?”(25) This was something I made sure I did not do. However, in retrospect, I feel that if I had made the mistake of saying something like this, that maybe I would have bonded more quickly with the woman. Maybe that would have broken the ice and she would not have sensed my constant nervousness when I was around her. As Carver’s story points out, Robert did not seem to be offended and he knew which side he sat on. Furthermore, in the end, we see that Robert and the husband do bond and the husband more clearly understands what being blind really entails. However, the bigger blessing is that through Robert, he realizes his own blindness and how oblivious he is to things as simple as a cathedral.

            The true climax of Carver’s short story appears as Robert asks the husband to describe a cathedral to him. The husband has a somewhat difficult time describing a rather simple object. This proves that even though we are given the privilege of sight to see the simple things, we take it for granted. Like the husband, how many of us could accurately describe a cathedral to someone who cannot see it. What we don’t realize is that there are people who wish they could see the simple things in life and would not take it for granted. After I got over my hatred for the husband, I came to realize how this short story pertains to reality. So many of us continue to cruise through life not realizing the beautiful cathedral, tree, path, bench, ant, and other things we deem miniscule. What is the point of life if we don’t notice these things and realize their true beauty?  Plus, if we are given the gift to see, we need to use it, or else there is no reason to see at all. (604)

Reflections on Alice Walker's Everyday Use

The short story Everyday Use struck a nerve when I read it, which led me to come up with some harsh criticisms of the characters, especially Dee. This short story surrounds the underlying message that one's heritage helps define who they are as a person and thus, one should not be ashamed of their origin. However, as the story unfolds, the reader is hit smack in the face with Dee's shame and mocking of the heritage that keeps her mother and sister Maggie going.

From the beginning of the story to the end, the reader witnesses Dee's selfishness and lack of concern and feeling for her family and their situation. The reader can clearly see that this family does not live the "best life" but they manage with the few things they do have. However, this is not good enough for Dee as her mom says, "Dee wanted nice things"(12). From this point forward the reader feels the lack of respect Dee has for her mother and her sister Maggie. In the mother's case, we hear of a dream where she and Dee were on a television show. In her dream, the mother hopes that Dee "would embrace her with tears in her eyes"(4). However, Dee's mother knows that this only happens because on television she looks the way Dee would want her to look. Instead of appreciating the mother she has, who works all day long  to provide for Dee and Maggie, Dee treats her with total disrespect. As the story progresses, only more examples are conveyed to show Dee's embarrassment of her family. Toward the end of the story, Dee finally leaves to go to school, but when she comes back we see Dee's true colors that make the reader even more upset than before. 

Dee comes back a new person with a new identity and persona. She is now Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo and is attended by Asalamalakin. Aside from physically looking different, Wangero has the audacity to exclaim that she, "couldn't bear it any longer to be named after the people who oppress her"(25). This is one of the first clues the reader gets that reveals her disrespect for her heritage. She wants to lose her identity, which will only erase the history of the African American peoples. She wants to forget their battle to be somewhat accepted. After, she continues to basically steal the few prized possessions her mother and sister have. She has no idea what it took to make the butter churn or the quilts but she feels she deserves them. The reader seems more vividly than ever before in the story, Dee's selfishness as she is taking from her own family who has nothing. After taking all these things, the reader notices Dee's appearance, as she is wearing her hair in an afro. She does not even deserve to wear her hair like this as she is no longer African. She lost that identity when she decided not to share a name with her own kin; people who had suffered to be accepted. 

At the end of the story, the reader feels no respect for Dee and realizes how important it is to be proud of one's heritage, as it makes one who they truly are. It is special to have traditions and cultures that differ from the majority of people. The moral of this story is to use Dee as an example of what one should never strive to be. Accepting the hardships and cultures of one's heritage makes them stronger and ultimately helps define one's identity. Until one can accept these things, they are not being true to who they really are.