Comparing Two Kinds And I Stand Here Ironing By Tillie Olsen
A Parents Role in a Childs Life
The role of a nurturing parent is essential in the emotional growth of a child. A parent’s role can have a major impact on how the way a child’s thought process far beyond their childhood. In both Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds” and Tillie Olsen’s “I Stand Here Ironing, Both authors write about two different stories that share a universal theme about the relationship between mother and daughter. However, the protagonist and antagonists have different viewpoints on their thinking. Both author’s use of theme, emotional dialogue and plot gives the reader an idea of the mother’s impact on each of their daughters lives. In “Two Kinds” the author uses strong emotional dialogue between the characters to illustrate the immense pressure she felt growing up trying to live up to her mother’s expectations. In one instance the in the story the mother tells her she has the potential to be a Chinese Shirley Temple. The story takes place in the 1950s and at that time Shirley Temple was the poster child of what every mother in America wanted their kids to be like at the time. Nine year old Jing Mei is experiencing rejection and frustration while growing up. In I Stand Here Ironing the author also uses the mother as a narrator to tell a story of the emotionally distant relationship between …show more content…
her and her daughter. She describes how she was always working and never really had time to spend with her as a result her never really knew her daughter. In the story She states that “Even if I came what good would it do? You think because I am her mother I have a key, or that in some way you can use me as a key?” (Olsen 1221). When she says this she is describing that even though she was the mother due to the fact she was working she was never able to build a solid relationship with her daughter as a result she probably wouldn’t have the answers the school counselor was looking for as to why Emily is having trouble in school. Based on the quote the reader can see she loved her daughter very much but due to the circumstances she missed out on valuable time with her as a result.
In Olsen’s story the mother is recalling instances in which she could have been there for her daughter. In one instance her daughter says “The Clock talked loud. I threw it away, it scared what it talked” (Olsen461). In this quote the author uses the clock as a symbol of the time she spent away from Emily and the affect it had on her. Emily is yearning for the love and attention of her mother. The author describes how Emily became afraid of the clock for the reader this puts emphasis on the toll it was taking on Emily.
In Tan’s story the author uses imagery to describe the toll her mother’s expectations were taking on her.
“Before going to bed at night I looked in the mirror above the bathroom sink and when I saw only my face staring back and then it would always be this ordinary face I began to cry. Such a sad, ugly girl! I made a high pitched noises like a crazed animal trying to scratch out the face in the mirror” (Tan517). The reader can assume that her mother’s high expectations are starting to take a toll on her self-esteem. Jing-mei wants to be accepted not to be changed according to her mother’s unrealistic expectations on her such as trying to groom her to become a
genius. In “I stand here Ironing” the author’s use of plot gives the reader an idea of the extent of the impact Emily’s mother had on her life. After so much absence, the narrator intensifies her attempts to show Emily affection, but these attempts are rebuffed, coming too late to prevent Emily’s withdrawal from her family and the world. Although Emily is now at home with the narrator. The few times Emily’s mother did come around she wouldn’t even smile at her. The narrator goes on to describe how Emily was left in a convalescent home for 8 months and how everyday Emily would just look at the clock Sacasa3 waiting for her mother to return not knowing it would be months before she saw her again. It’s clear for the reader to see what has been a virtually lifelong absence and how it created an unbridgeable gulf between them. In “Mother Tongue” and “I Stand Here Ironing” It is clear that both mothers wanted what was best for their daughters. Based on both stories one can assume for better or worse a parent has a huge impact on how a child develops. In “Mother Tongue” the reader was able to see how being how being an over-bearing presence in a child’s life can have a negative impact. Even though Jing Mei turned out ok she grew up with a low self-esteem. On the other hand in I stand here ironing the reader was also able to see how being an absent parent can impact a child’s life which also led to other problems on the child’s upbringing. Based on both stories one can conclude a parent has a great impact on a child’s life and parents should be mindful of their actions when it comes to their children.
The role of a nurturing parent is essential in the emotional growth of a child. A parent’s role can have a major impact on how the way a child’s thought process far beyond their childhood. In both Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds” and Tillie Olsen’s “I Stand Here Ironing, Both authors write about two different stories that share a universal theme about the relationship between mother and daughter. However, the protagonist and antagonists have different viewpoints on their thinking. Both author’s use of theme, emotional dialogue and plot gives the reader an idea of the mother’s impact on each of their daughters lives. In “Two Kinds” the author uses strong emotional dialogue between the characters to illustrate the immense pressure she felt growing up trying to live up to her mother’s expectations. In one instance the in the story the mother tells her she has the potential to be a Chinese Shirley Temple. The story takes place in the 1950s and at that time Shirley Temple was the poster child of what every mother in America wanted their kids to be like at the time. Nine year old Jing Mei is experiencing rejection and frustration while growing up. In I Stand Here Ironing the author also uses the mother as a narrator to tell a story of the emotionally distant relationship between …show more content…
her and her daughter. She describes how she was always working and never really had time to spend with her as a result her never really knew her daughter. In the story She states that “Even if I came what good would it do? You think because I am her mother I have a key, or that in some way you can use me as a key?” (Olsen 1221). When she says this she is describing that even though she was the mother due to the fact she was working she was never able to build a solid relationship with her daughter as a result she probably wouldn’t have the answers the school counselor was looking for as to why Emily is having trouble in school. Based on the quote the reader can see she loved her daughter very much but due to the circumstances she missed out on valuable time with her as a result.
In Olsen’s story the mother is recalling instances in which she could have been there for her daughter. In one instance her daughter says “The Clock talked loud. I threw it away, it scared what it talked” (Olsen461). In this quote the author uses the clock as a symbol of the time she spent away from Emily and the affect it had on her. Emily is yearning for the love and attention of her mother. The author describes how Emily became afraid of the clock for the reader this puts emphasis on the toll it was taking on Emily.
In Tan’s story the author uses imagery to describe the toll her mother’s expectations were taking on her.
“Before going to bed at night I looked in the mirror above the bathroom sink and when I saw only my face staring back and then it would always be this ordinary face I began to cry. Such a sad, ugly girl! I made a high pitched noises like a crazed animal trying to scratch out the face in the mirror” (Tan517). The reader can assume that her mother’s high expectations are starting to take a toll on her self-esteem. Jing-mei wants to be accepted not to be changed according to her mother’s unrealistic expectations on her such as trying to groom her to become a
genius. In “I stand here Ironing” the author’s use of plot gives the reader an idea of the extent of the impact Emily’s mother had on her life. After so much absence, the narrator intensifies her attempts to show Emily affection, but these attempts are rebuffed, coming too late to prevent Emily’s withdrawal from her family and the world. Although Emily is now at home with the narrator. The few times Emily’s mother did come around she wouldn’t even smile at her. The narrator goes on to describe how Emily was left in a convalescent home for 8 months and how everyday Emily would just look at the clock Sacasa3 waiting for her mother to return not knowing it would be months before she saw her again. It’s clear for the reader to see what has been a virtually lifelong absence and how it created an unbridgeable gulf between them. In “Mother Tongue” and “I Stand Here Ironing” It is clear that both mothers wanted what was best for their daughters. Based on both stories one can assume for better or worse a parent has a huge impact on how a child develops. In “Mother Tongue” the reader was able to see how being how being an over-bearing presence in a child’s life can have a negative impact. Even though Jing Mei turned out ok she grew up with a low self-esteem. On the other hand in I stand here ironing the reader was also able to see how being an absent parent can impact a child’s life which also led to other problems on the child’s upbringing. Based on both stories one can conclude a parent has a great impact on a child’s life and parents should be mindful of their actions when it comes to their children.