Shiloh Analysis

Kentucky-fried fiction, anyone? Most of Bobbie Ann Mason's finger-lickin' good stories and novels are set in a fictionalized version of the area in and around Mayfield, a little town near Paducah,...

Leroy isn't the narrator of "Shiloh," but we see things from his point of view as an observer—like we're sitting there in the back of his head, peeking through his eyes, but he doesn't know we're...

Remember the Civil War metaphor we talked about earlier? If not, let us refresh your memory: in this story, all the Civil War references hint at the notion of a battle between different parts of th...

"Shiloh" is told from Leroy Moffatt's perspective, and his observations are presented directly, in the present tense, like a stoned reporter on the sidelines. His tone is flat, like Coca-Cola that'...

Bobbie Ann Mason's writing style is generally described as "minimalism." In general, think less is more. Fewer words. Fewer pages. Sparse. Stick with us, because we're going to get a little serious...

"Shiloh" refers to Shiloh, Tennessee, where close to 110,000 Union and Confederate troops clashed in the Civil War "Battle of Shiloh" on April 6-7, 1862. It should really be called the "Bloodbath o...

The ending of the story might be the most challenging aspect of the story for readers since it is open-ended and ambiguous. Thanks a lot, Bobbie Ann. Since Leroy can't tell what Norma Jean is doing...

Sure, the story might be named after an old battlefield, but getting through "Shiloh" shouldn't be a battle in the least. It's fairly easy to read and understand, though you will get more out of th...

My Old Kentucky HomeLeroy is home for good after a trucking accident, but his wife, Norma Jean, doesn't seem exactly overjoyed by his homecoming. She becomes interested in bodybuilding after seeing...

Bobbie Ann Mason holds a unique and surprising title in the literary world. After the New Yorker ran excerpts of her novel In Country that included raw, unedited language by a character who is a Vi...

PGAny sexy stuff in this story happens "off page." We learn that Norma Jean and Leroy were married at 18, and that their baby Randy was born just a few months later. With this information, we can a...

Shiloh, Tennessee, a Civil War battlefield is referenced throughout the story (2.22, 2.24, 5.19, 5.21, 5.23, 5.28,5.29, 5.30, 6.1, 6.11, 7.1, 7.7) Corinth, Tennessee, a Civil War battlefield near S...