a broken wing

A Broken Wing What is it like to be free? Bobbie Ann Mason, the author of
Shiloh puts Norma Jean Moffitt through different tests in her life before she can
find her freedom. Mason introduces us to a character who yearns to be free from
her husband and mother. Throughout Norma Jeans life she has dealt with many
difficult and trying times that sometimes may not make sense to her and finally
this thirty-four-year-old woman is ready to spread her wings; fly away and see
what it is like to be free. Throughout the story, Norma Jeans desire to be free is
evident in tasks that she is taking on that she would not normally do, leaving her
mother and husband blind to the fact that change is coming. Norma begins taking
a bodybuilding class, an English composition class and a course in cooking
exotic foods. These changes in Normas life are evident to the reader that she is
trying to rediscover herself and find her sense of identity. Her husband Leroy
takes notice late in the story to this situation and does not understand why she is
going through all of these classes. In a conversation with Mabel, the mother of
Norma, she explains to Leroy that Norma Jean just is not used to having him
home. The classes are giving Norma the space she had while Leroy was
working, but they are also the tools she needs to distance herself from Leroy and
Mabel. Not only does Norma Jean want to in a sense fly away from her clueless
husband but an overprotective mother keeps Normas eyes on the sky. As
mentioned earlier Norma is thirty-four. Still her mother, Mabel is watching every
move she makes. One day Norma is in her house with the door closed and in
comes Mabel catching her daughter smoking a cigarette. Norma is found later
crying to Leroy how her privacy was invaded by her mother.