“Shiloh” And The Effects Of Feminism. Throughout The Decades,

â€Å"Shiloh† and the Effects of Feminism Throughout the decades, the feminist movement has been portrayed in numerous ways, from feminism being a liberating thing to feminism being deleterious towards men, or even being anti-government. Countless readers believe that the writer Bobbie Ann Mason writes solely about the changes that the females made to change their own world. Instead, Mason portrays the feminist movement in a much different light. In one of her many short stories, â€Å"Shiloh,† Mason shows the conflicting sides of the feminist movement and the end result of female liberation in many of these individual movements. â€Å"Shiloh† shows a married couple that has been forced into a new phase of their lives through the newfound disability†¦show more content†¦Norma Jean operates in the idea the feminism is defined as equality for both sexes without taking away opportunities for one. She operates in the idea that equality is like a ladder, moving up one rung does nothing to the other. Fe minism to her is finding happiness and individuality in herself. Leroy on the other hand takes Feminism as firstly a joke. We can see this when he asks Norma Jean in a very degrading tone if ending the marriage was â€Å"one of those women s lib things†(p. 371)? Leroy believes equality to be a seesaw, if one side is promoted the other must be degraded. He believes he was injured and because of this Norma Jean became better in mental and a physical sense. This is one of the sources of conflict, Norma Jean fights for herself and Leroy surrenders. The main character in â€Å"Shiloh† is also the feminist of the story. Norma Jean fights for her own happiness, and her individuality. Because of this she is one of the main subjects of conflict. Norma Jean and Leroy have been married for around twenty years, but the conflict comes when Leroy becomes injured and is no longer able to work. Norma Jean is seen originally as the feminine wife, but as the story progresses Norma Jean obtains more masculinity and the Leroy obtains more femininity. This shift is shown by multiple symbols and Leroy is â€Å"far from being a patriarch, he is subservient in relation to the other