"I Stand Here Ironing" - Literary Analysis

"I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen, is written in first person point of view in the mother's perspective. The protagonist of the short story is her daughter, Emily. The narrator is dealing with a "man vs. himself" conflict. She is conflicted with her choices on how she raised her daughter, Emily. The climax of the story is when Emily wins the talent show and Olsen writes; "Now suddenly she was Somebody..." (55). Olsen depicts a somewhat dark and gloomy mood in the story while describing Emily's childhood. "She is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron," (56) is a metaphor implying that Emily has developed into a young woman capable of more than her mother could have hoped for.


I feel quite a bit of remorse for Emily. Olsen uses vivid imagery to illustrate specific instances in which Emily was neglected emotionally. In one situation, Emily is being bullied at school and pleads to stay home, saying “Momma, you look sick. Momma, I feel sick. Momma, the teacher’s aren’t there today, they’re sick” (51). It is nearly heart-wrenching when the mother reveals that it is too late now to comfort Emily. One theme to the story could be that you should always cherish the time you have with your children. They grow up extremely fast, and in this situation, the mother felt as if her “wisdom came too late” (56).