Character Clues
Character Analysis
Song Titles
Readers don't have access to Norma Jean's thoughts because the story is told from Leroy's perspective. However, when she plays "Who'll Be the Next in Line?" (3.14), it's like a musical announcement of what she tells Leroy at Shiloh:
I want to leave you (7.11).
Even "Chopsticks" (1.11) can be seen as reflecting Norma Jean's new interest in "cooking unusual foods" (4.9) with foreign flavors. Okay, maybe that's a stretch.
The other titles of songs she plays take on certain significance with regard to Leroy. For example, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (1.16) could be seen as her noticing and being uncomfortable with the way Leroy keeps staring at her. When she finally agrees to go to Shiloh, it's offered as a kind of bargain:
I'll go to Shiloh with you if you'll stop staring at me (6.11).
Leroy himself picks up on "I'll Be Back" (1.16) as being about him. Listening to the song, he reflects:
He is back again. After fifteen years on the road, he is finally settling down with the woman he loves (1.16).
"Sunshine Superman" (3.10) could be a reference to Leroy, too, in ironic contrast to the way he sees his wife as a true superhero(ine):
Standing with her legs apart, she reminds Leroy of Wonder Woman (1.1).
Trippy, hippie folksinger Donovan's 1966 hit was one of the first overtly psychedelic pop albums and contains many references to tripping on LSD. If Leroy is any kind of superhero, it's only in his drug-addled mind.
Regional Language
Mabel Beasley's use of language reflects that she remains true to her roots in the rural and small town Southern culture of Western Kentucky, where the story takes place.
Mabel speaks ungrammatically—"She don't know what to make of you" (5.12)—and mistakenly refers to a dachsund as a "Datsun" (4.3), which indicates she's not especially bright or well educated.
Much of the humor in the story comes from her use of the regional expressions of her time, such as "Great day in the morning" (2.17) and "I like to died" (5.11). Thanks, Mabel, if it weren't for you, we'd probably be feeling a little more depressed at the end of this minimalistic story.