I Stand Here Ironing, written by Tillie Olsen, is described to resist easy optimism (Galenet 4). In this story, a mother s tempted to blame herself for the deficiencies in Emily s childhood (Charters 5). Through not knowing about motherhood and not understanding childhood development, the mother shows the mistakes she made during Emily s childhood.
Having Emily at an early age shows how the mother was unprepared for motherhood. She says in the beginning of the short story. You think just because I am her mother I have a key, or that in some way you could use me as a key? (Frye 2930). She knows that her own knowledge of mother hood is very limited. As one author wrote, Emily was the first child of the mother, who was only nineteen at the time she was born (Gawthorp 1091). Nineteen years of age does not allow a woman enough time to set her priorities, much less be a mother. The father left the mother shortly after Emily was born.
The letter stated he could no longer endure (Olsen 2), which showed his cowardice of being a father figure when Emily was born, the child-care authorities strongly urged parents to feed babies on a strict schedule (Stanford 94). Most people understand that when a child is crying, the mother should try to please the baby. All babies eat and become hungry at different times. When the next baby, Susan, was born Emily had red measles and could not get close to the mother or baby. She again followed the advice when social workers urged them other to put Emily in a convalescent home because they believed she would receive better care (Stanford 94).
This quote shows her inability to use her reason against others thoughts of the wellness of Emily. Throughout the night, Emily would awaken and call for her mother, but her mom would just say, You re alright, darling, go to sleep, it s just a dream (Olsen 5). Once the mother realized she should comfort Emily when she awakened from a dream it was too late Emily would not accept comfort from her mother.
Many hardships made the mother push Emily s wants aside and the best way she could. Olsen writes, What matters to me is the kind of soil out of which people have to grow, and the climate around them (Kamel 193), which is symbolic to Emily s mother s climate in which to grow out of. Since the father left the mother, she had to find a job.
During the depression and prewar times, finding a job is difficult, if a job can be found. After a while, she finds a job hashing at night so she could be with Emily during the day (Olsen 3). Emily s mother has five children, without a father being there to support the children, the mother has to earn money to keep her kids fed and clothed. More time is spent at work than with Emily, which makes the mother-child bond more difficult to attain.
Emily s mother contemplates and recollects as she irons. In the ending, she is ironing and realizes the Émily is unlike the clothing she is pressing: Emily is an individual with life and free chance, unlike the dress being ironed (Olsen 15). Emily s mother always tried to go directly by the book when raising Emily. The mother sensed the lack of freedom in Emily s life, because Emily was always under her mother s feet whenever possible. Once Emily is encouraged to try for a talent show at school, things begin to change, when Emily wins the contest, she excitedly calls her mother. From this point forward Emily ventures past her horizons and sees the anything is possibly with faith.
