Gender Roles in Shiloh

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is introduced in the first paragraph of the story “Leroy Moffitt’s wife, Norma Jean, is working on her pectorals. She lifts three-pound dumbbells to warm up, then professes to a twenty-pound barbell. Standing with her legs apart, she reminds Leroy of Wonder Woman” (Mason) While women do participate in weightlifting and bodybuilding, it is still largely a male-dominated activity and carries the image of strength and power. Mason continues to use the image throughout the story. Norma Jean’s interest in bodybuilding started after Leroy broke his leg and received help with physical therapy which involved weightlifting. Norma started the weightlifting the same time with Leroy, but gets more involved by attending body-building class; she too can become physically fit.
Interestingly, the story both begins and ends with the image of muscles and strength. After Norma Jean has told Leroy at Shiloh that she wants to leave him, she walks away from him to the bluff overlooking the ...

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choices of what jobs to get that avoid driving any big trucks. She made a list that “things you could do” this list represent Norma giving her husband a second chance with marriage.
At the beginning of the story, Leroy tells us that there is one connection between him and Norma Jean. When she explains to him her duties at the drugstore where she works at the cosmetics counter, she recounts “the three stages of complexion care, involving creams, toners, and moisturizers” For Leroy “happily of other petroleum products—axle grease, diesel fuel” when they return to their old traditional roles that they can make an kind of connection.
Leroy is the truck driver who injured his leg in ...

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