Emily's Struggle In 'I Stand Here Ironing'

In the story “I stand here ironing” talked about two women, mother and daughter who share some similar aspects in their lives and personalities. Both women were experiencing the same emotional situations they have to endure. They began to define themselves through their own inner resources and create their own vision of existence. Both Emily and her mother gave insightful representation of the struggle women were experiencing during the great Depression. In spite of displaying the same message, the story exhibit numerous similarities and differences. Primarily, the story relies on one character, Emily who is the main focusing issue in the story, while her mother was the narrator. The story appears to be built on the two main characters and

She was a miracle baby to her mother. She was beautiful, joyous, and full of life. After eight months her father left them suddenly and her mother was forced to find work to rear her. Another thing that these two women have in common is that they were abandoned by their significant other. This story expresses the emotional and physical trials the characters have to endure on everyday basis. In the story it shows Emily’s mother who is oppressed and is suffering from depression and loneliness. Emily was sent to a convalescent home when she was young, because she was ill and needed special care. The result of these partings was devastated on Emily: She became depressed, fearful and insecure too. Her mother remarried and had four other children. Emily has an unattractive, gloomy character as well as strange gift for comedy and performance. In a way, her acting ability serves as an unsociable comment on her conditions growing up. Her desire for imitation and bringing characters vividly to life mirrors Emily’s wish to become someone else. This enabled her to excel her present reality, and escape the shabbiness, loneliness, and compromised characters that manifested in her life. Similarly, “I Stand Here Ironing, The iron, quilt, clock, and house all represent symbolic articles, These symbols reflect a feminist nature; however, it symbolizes the essential qualities of a mother in general. As a result, the iron represents a