Shiloh Dissatisfaction Quotes

This expresses more than Leroy's dissatisfaction with the condition of the house he and his wife share. Their house doesn't feel like a home for reasons that have nothing to do with the house itself and everything to do with the quality of their marriage. Admittedly, it'spretty weird that it took Leroy sixteen years to realize this, but hey, that gives us some valuable insight into one of Leroy's most defining traits—this dude is slow to catch on.

Imagine coming home after recovering from a serious and traumatic accident only to be greeted by a cold and unexcited spouse. We imagine it'd be pretty cruddy. Poor Leroy wants Norma Jean to be happy to have him at home, but it's apparent that she's surprised and disappointed to keep seeing him in the house. Clearly, they're both dissatisfied, though they don't express it openly.

Not only is Leroy's relationship with his wife strange and complicated—so is the world he sees outside his window. Now that he's home all the time, Leroy has been noticing how much his town has changed during the years he was on the road. He doesn't fit in with the new, wealthy residents. He can't afford to build a house that will meet the requirements of the new subdivisions. Leroy feels cut off from others and dissatisfied with himself.

Oh Mabel, we want to like you, we really do…but lines like these are what make it hard to be down with your selfish, bitter self. This line explains to us that Mabel is dissatisfied about unfortunate events that occurred in her daughter's life—but not because of the unhappiness they created for her daughter. Mabel's dissatisfaction is selfish; she is only concerned with how she imagines those events made her look in the eyes of society (disgraced and mocked).

It's clear from Norma Jean's comments that she doesn't feel much satisfaction herself in seeing Shiloh, but she's fulfilled an obligation to her mother. She's done something to satisfy Mabel, not herself. Her moment is coming, though—just wait 'til we get to the part where she spreads her wings and flies off the bluff (maybe).

Norma Jean is expressing her dissatisfaction with her mother and Leroy. Both have expectations of her that she doesn't want to fulfill. As long as she is expected to make her mother and husband happy, she won't have a chance to figure out what will make her happy. It sounds to us like Norma Jean was really…under pressure.