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Comparing The Raven And I Stand Here Ironing

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Imagine if your past was filled with tragic events/memories. Do you think you would still be the same person you are today? In “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe and “I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen contain characters with a tragic past. Although both stories contained characters with a devastating past each story’s had a different outcome on their identity development. In “The Raven” the narrator has lost someone very close to him leading him to go insane. In “I Stand Here Ironing” the mother and her daughter Emily, have both had a tragic past together but did not have the same outcome as in “The Raven”. Therefore although past memories may impact someone's life it can potentially affect them negative or positively depending on their mental strength. In “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe it shows how some people may be affected by past experiences or memories. These past memories may lead to change in one’s future development in identity. “The Raven” proves how past memories may affect one’s identity in a negative way. In “The Raven” the narrator struggles due to his past memories …show more content…

In the story both the mother and Emily had many difficult events in their life. Although they have had tough memories their change in identity was more positive. In “I Stand Here Ironing” the mother and Emily have had difficult times in their life but their identity had a positive outcome. In the text it states “ Her Father left me before she was a year old… We were poor and could not afford food for her.. My wisdom came out too late… she is a child of her age, of depression, war, of fear” (Olsen 7). In the textual evidence it provides information on how difficult their life was. Although they have had difficult memories it was just a memory in the past. In “I Stand Here Ironing” it proves how past memories can have a positive impact depending on mental

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