I Stand Here Ironing Summary
I stand here ironing by Tillie Olsen tells a story of a depressed mother doing everything she can to give her daughter a better life. Her story starts out talking about ironing and how it “tormented back and forth”. She relates ironing to the problems in her life as well as her daughter. Tillie Olsen has had a tough childhood not having many options at the age of 19. She looks at herself then at her daughter and wants her to be without wrinkles while growing up, it's her job to keep “ironing” to make her daughter have the best opportunity but Olsen experiences some challenges she may call torment during this time.
The narrator of “I Stand Here Ironing” is oppressed by her own personal and environmental circumstances. She reveals the dark side