Growing Up in I Stand Here Ironing Essay -- American Literature Tillie

Growing upThe oppression of women by society has never been a secret. Many times it has been documented in works of literature, and one absolute example of this occurrence is I abide Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen. This story illustrates the consequences of oppression in womens lives.The story leads the reader on an exploratory journey to witness the neglect by Emilys extremely guilty mother. This is exposit by the childrens cry when they are left with strangers, lacking attention and retire 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 mothers pain and torment is apparent from the very opening of the story. Her realization that she could have been a better mother, had it not been for the circumstances and keep events which occurred following Emilys 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 in that location was work, or I sent her home and to his relatives (Olsen, 373). The mother does, however, continually shift back and onwards, as the metaphor of fighting implies, to invoke pity from the reader and explain that there were other people, and factors which played a significant role in Emilys upbringing. advisedly 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 foreboding giver) and physically (the baby-sitter, the fathers family, etc) distress. Emilys mother seems to be constantly blaming her troubles and circumstances for the less than able ... ...one or more of the five senses of the reader. In this short story, the author uses actual language to call up a mental picture in the readers mind. In the last line of Emilys story her mother says, Only booster Emily to know... that s he is more than this dress on the entreating 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 childs parents and society, and the ironing board is their expectations. The theme this image conveys is that children grow up to draw individuals as a result of their interaction with their parents and society, their experiences, and their own insight, not manifestly being ironed in to societys preconceived model.Work CitedOlsen, Tillie. I Stand Here Ironing. The Story and Its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston Bedford, 1999.