Womens Liberation Movement as Seen In Shiloh and The Astronomers Wife :: essays research papers

The days of the barefoot womanhood forced to stay in the kitchen and bedroom are over. Womens liberation has gained voice in the ending century and has emancipated many women, bringing them into the realization that they are non subservient to men. As this thought process becomes more widely spread, more and more women are seeing the truth of it. In the short stories battle of Shiloh and The Astronomers Wife this theme of realization and liberation is dominant. In the story Shiloh by Bobbie Ann Mason we are introduced to Norma Jean. She is a married woman to an injured trucker named Leroy. Our first glimpse at Norma Jean is of her on the job(p) out. Leroy Moffitts wife, Norma Jean, is working on her pectorals. She lifts three-pound dumbbells to warm up, then progresses to a twenty-pound barbell. stand up with legs apart, she reminds Leroy of Wonder Woman. (Pg. 68) This shows a bit or so her strong, self-improving personality. Another look at this trait are seen in her attempt s at learning. Norma Jean is going to night school. She has graduated from her six-week form-building course and right away she is taking an adult-education course in organic law at Paducah Community College. She spends her evenings outlining paragraphs. (Pg. 74) Not only is Norma Jean improving her body but her intellect as well. I believe this self-improving aspect points to an freedom in her. In The Astronomers Wife independent woman is the farthest description of Mrs. Ames. She was a youngish woman, but this was forgotten. The mystery and quiet down of her husbands mind lay like a check finger on her lips. Her eyes were gray, for the light had been extinguished from them. (Pg. 63) She had at unrivaled time been a bright beautiful woman but now she is stifled and has forgotten her beauty. She is very soft spoken. Every time she duologue it mentions the soft tone or the hushed voice. This shows that she is a gentle and quite a timid woman. Norma Jean starts having proble ms in her marriage with Leroy when he gets disabled in a truck accident and is anything but gentle and timid about it.. He has been on the road for fifteen years as a trucker. Now he is home for good and adaptation is necessary. He is completely for settling down in the marriage but he senses her discomfort. Since he has been home, he has felt unusually tender about his wife and blameworthy over his long absences.