The battle of who one may be and who one may strive to be in life seems to be a never-ending battle. In life, one must make decisions sometimes hastily, and this can lead to a lifetime of regret. In Bobbie Ann Mason’s story “Shiloh”; the character Norma Jean was struggling with the choices that she made and the new path she was trying to create for herself. Norma Jean appears to be a quiet, shy, simple woman. She was use to her husband being on the road and away from home since he was a truck driver. The tables have turned and her husband is now home all the time. This has led Norma Jean to reevaluate her life. Although Norma Jean appears to be a simple kind of woman her thoughts, wants, and needs are much different from what her husband ever …show more content…
Norma Jean’s mother, Mabel, was very critical of her. “When she visits, she inspects the closets and then the plants, informing Norma Jean when a plant is droopy or yellow” (447). Norma Jean was treated like a child by her mother and Mabel frequently invited herself over, unannounced. There was a time when Mabel let herself in and caught Norma Jean smoking a cigarette. “One day when Leroy comes home from a drive he finds Norma Jean in tears. She is in the kitchen making a potato and mushroom-soup casserole, with grated cheese topping. She is crying because her mother caught her smoking” (449). “She don’t know the meaning of the word knock, says Norma Jean. It’s a wonder she hasn’t caught me years ago” (449). The strained relationship between Norma Jean and her mother was suffering; Mabel seemed to get back at her and make remarks that she knew would hurt her feelings. Mabel made a comment about a baby dying from neglect, knowing that Norma Jean would get the hint about her own baby’s death. “She just said that about the baby because she caught me smoking. She’s trying to pay me back” (450). Norma Jean had many issues with her mother that remains unresolved, and Mabel will always hold Norma Jean accountable for Randy’s