Bobbie Ann Mason, "Shiloh"


1. Mason has said that "what's on TV and what songs are on and what's on sale at the local store and what movies are playing . . . are important to just about everybody." How are these aspects of culture important to the characters in "Shiloh," and how are they important to the reader?

2. At one point in "Shiloh," Leroy thinks that he and Norma Jean "have known each other so long they have forgotten a lot about each other." Describe what has happened between this couple prior to the outset of the story, what happens to their relationship over the course of the story, how this sequence illustrates just what it is that has been forgotten, and what new things they have been able to learn about each other.

3. Mason has said that her stylistic choices have created "the attitude that I have about the characters and the world." Examine the stylistic choices that Mason makes in terms of language, diction, tone, and point of view, and describe that attitude. Is it judgmental, sympathetic, empathetic, or something else?