I Stand Here Ironing By Tillie Olsen

Parents, they are the sole caretakers of their beloved children. They strive every living moment to care for, provide for, and to create a better life for their offspring. Most parents would prefer that their children follow the paths and guidance set forth by them. They teach and guide their children to the paths that they want them to follow, the paths that they believe is best for the future and well-being of their child. However in actuality, it is predominantly the child’s own decision to determine what their future holds. They may choose to follow the paths of their parents or perhaps even pave an entirely new road leading to their own destinies and dreams. Take the Wall’s family from Jeannette Wall’s memoir, Glass Castle, for instance. Even with

Poetry has a great influence in the people emotions. The Julia Alvarez’s works are topics about humanity quotidian life. How they resolve their problems, joys, and challenges. She shows to readers the family’s home settings making sense of the real life. “Ironing Their Clothes” is a wonderful poem written by Julia Alvarez.

In present-day society, families go through several problems and arguments regarding numerous issues which would have been considered unacceptable in past times. Throughout a variety of different cultures, the level of respect and obedience for one’s parents has diminished while the negotiation of conformity and rebellion has risen. This statement is supported and evidential in two different stories, “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan and “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker. Although these stories represent different cultures, they both exemplify the values and importance of family relations; as well as demonstrate in every culture families face social problems. In both these stories, two major topics stood out which allowed me to compare each one to one

Have you ever gotten into a quarrel with your parents? Have you ever fought relentlessly until you get your own way? Many times when children get into fights with their parents, they do not have the same views as the other person. They both angrily proclaim what they believe is correct, and why the other’s point is not valid. Parents and children typically argue back and forth with each other, and in the worst cases, the tension lingers for days. The narrator’s views in both Confetti Girl by Diana Lopez and Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes differ from the parent’s perspective and the child’s perspective. In many cases that I have encountered, I get mad at my parents for saying something that I do not agree with and that is irrelevant. Although

Reuven and Danny, like Abby and I, experience contrasting parenting styles through religion, education, and daily rituals, yet we all grow up into competent, full functioning young adults. Therefore, no “perfect” parent exists. The old African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” rings true in Potok’s The Chosen and in real life. Children learn from

Parents have a significant amount of influence on how their children will act, behave and do certain things in today's world which base off of their skills. Not all parents will acquire impressive parenting skills and be able to raise their children properly in society. In a memoir called The Glass Castle, by author Jeannette Walls shares her life story and how it may be perceived as normal. In Jeannette’s life, she along with her siblings are raised by a father and a mother who raises their family in a way that society would view as unusual or problematic. Parents are the adults who have certain ways and skills on how their children are raised in which could be considered a problem, society, on the other hand, has certain views but isn’t necessarily the problem.

The line between being an acceptable and unacceptable parent is often blurry and is seen on different perspectives when it comes to class, culture, and generation differences. Based on the two stories of Amy Tan’s, “Two Kinds” and Tillie Olsen’s, “I Stand here Ironing” we see these two perspectives that derive from different maternal upbringings of the children in the stories. What is found between them is the conflict of being too little or heavily involved in a child’s life has had more negative outcomes during their childhood than positive.

In today’s society there is a tendency for parents to shape their kids future, but as it is seen change doesn’t always benefit one positively. In the novel Things Fall Apart and the short story The Scarlet Ibis both Okonkwo and Brother both face the fear of their loved ones not being average. In addition, both Nwoye and Doodle dislike the idea of being changed into something they don’t want to be. Moreover, Okonkwo’s and Doodle’s actions led to major consequences. Both Okonkwo and Brother attempts to transcend their station in life lead to the loss of their respective loved ones.

Sandra Day O’Connor once said “Having family responsibilities and concerns just has to make you a more understanding person.” However, Ray Bradbury gives his readers a improved perspective on family responsibilities. In his short story, The Veldt, parents Lydia and George Hadley began to grasp that they are losing their children to a machine. Through Bradbury’s use of foreshadowing, allusion, and setting, he shows that parents have a responsibility to keep a family unit intact.

The two short stories, “I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen and “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker shows two mothers being concerned about one of their daughter and question how their daughters have turned out to be. The authors show this by using multiple symbols to convey the families’ relationship. By this, the authors use the iron, quilt, and clock all to connect how each symbol shows a significant meaning in the family.

Parents are losing the true focus of parenting because they are too attached. Parents should realize that if a person does not work hard, they can’t achieve great things like they want for their children. “The Fine Art of Letting Go” is an article that appeared in the news magazine, Newsweek, written by Barbara Kantrowitz and Peg Tyre. The article discusses many causes and consequences of hovering parents, as well as personal experiences from hovering parents. Kantrowitz is responsible for many cover stories on education, social trends, and health in Newsweek since 1985. Parents feel a range of emotions as their child is growing up, but as the parent, their role is to be strong in order

“I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen is a depiction of a mother-daughter relationship that lacks involvement and warmth. The whole story composed of the mother’s memory of her relationship with her daughter, Emily. The memory was a painful one comprised mostly of the way the mother was much less able to care for Emily. The forsaken of Emily demonstrates the importance of physical and emotional support.

Parents are the closest influence on a developing child. Therefore, their mature actions are bound to accumulate over the child, instigating his growth from childhood innocence. This is especially true when parents perform their intense habits in front of their kids. This is outlined by Theodore Roethke who recalls his father through a poem. He states how

The very first thing the narrator says is, “I stand here ironing, and what you asked me moves tormented back and forth with the iron,” (Olsen 292). This establishes that the iron is more than a chunk of metal that makes clothes look neat. Poverty and loneliness do not directly represent the iron, but the iron represents what the mother is thinking and talking about.

“I Stand Here Ironing” written by Tillie Olsen is a short story that reflects on the struggles of a single mother who looks back on the past and tries to assess the effect her decisions and circumstances had on her young daughter, Emily. “This story is part of the awarding-winning collection, Tell Me A Riddle, which was first published in 1961” (Wolfe). “This story is considered the most autobiographical of Olsen’s literary works (Piedmont-Marton). The title of the story is taken from the stories opening line, “I stand here ironing, and what you asked me moves tormented back and forth with the iron” (Bauer, Olsen). The story is one of the best examples in literature, and certainly one of the first, to offer readers a glimpse into the lives of the working-class women and families from a woman’s perspective. (Piedmont-Marton) This story “illustrates Olsen’s particular concern with the difficulties faced by women”. (Wolfe) As the story unfolds, Olsen uses distinct character traits, imagery, tone, and style to create a dramatic sense of the mother’s internal debate of her own feelings.