Helpless Before The Iron in Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing" In Tillie Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing," the narrator seeks, through language and memory, to construct her past, to make meaning from and come to terms with her life in an effort to "total it all", and to gain a better understanding of her actions as a mother. While the mother is standing in front of an ironing board ironing, she sifts through her memories and debates on the subject of whether or not she has been a good mother. One finds that the narrator is defenseless as a mother because of her youth, her single status, and her poverty level. Firstly, the narrator is very young at the time of Emily's birth. The mother has not enough time to grow up for herself and thus does not understand the needs of a newborn child. Although the narrator does her best in bringing up Emily, she lacks ....

Number Of Pages: 3

Number Of Words: 673

Got a term paper due soon and need some help quick? You have come to the right place. Essay Galaxy has over 50,000 essays, papers, and reports available for download right now! Get ideas from thousands students just like you to help make that essay perfect. Don't hesitate. Join today and get instant access to our enormous database.

Membership Options Price Savings   1 month subscription    $19.95 recurring * 3 months subscription    $39.95 recurring $19.90 6 months subscription    $69.95 non-recurring $49.75