Growing Up in I Stand Here Ironing

Growing up

The oppression of women by society has never been a secret. Many times it has been documented in works of literature, and one classical example of this occurrence is "I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen. This story illustrates the consequences of oppression in women's lives.

The story leads the reader on an exploratory journey to witness the neglect by Emily's extremely guilty mother. This is described by the children's cry when they are left with strangers, lacking attention and love due to the fact she is a single parent at a time where this was not commonly accepted in the community, causing a lot of emotional distress.

The mother's pain and torment is apparent from the very beginning of the story. Her realization that she could have been a better mother, had it not been for the circumstances and life events which occurred following Emily's birth, such as the father who dealt with his parental responsibility by leaving - "Her father left me before she was a year old. I had to work her first six years when there was work, or I sent her home and to his relatives" (Olsen, 373). The mother does, however, continually "shift" back and forth, as the metaphor of "ironing" implies, to invoke pity from the reader and explain that there were other people, and factors which played a significant role in Emily's upbringing.

Purposely organized in a non chronological way, it illustrates the shifting, which is the passing back and forth of Emily emotionally (allowing the nursery, school teacher, and hospital staff play the primary care giver) and physically (the baby-sitter, the father's family, etc) distress. Emily's mother seems to be constantly blaming her troubles and circumstances for the less than adequate ...

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...one or more of the five senses of the reader. In this short story, the author uses literal language to call up a mental picture in the reader's mind. In the last line of Emily's story her mother says, "Only help Emily to know... that she is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron" (Olsen, 373). The image, ironing a dress, compares to actually raising a child. The dress represents the child, the iron is the child's parents and society, and the ironing board is their expectations. The theme this image conveys is that children grow up to become individuals as a result of their interaction with their parents and society, their experiences, and their own insight, not simply being "ironed" in to society's preconceived model.

Work Cited

Olsen, Tillie. "I Stand Here Ironing." The Story and It’s Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford, 1999.