I Stand Here Ironing

A detailed Summary of I Stand Here Ironing


In the short story "I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen, the reader is introduced to a mother faced with a strong internal conflict involving her eldest daughter Emily. Emily's mother makes a very meaningful statement at the end of the story. Her statement was "help [Emily] to know that she is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron" (Olsen, 582). This statement shows the reader that the mother wants her daughter to have a better life than what she has had up to this point. Emily's mother feels as though she has neglected her daughter in some sense. Throughout the story she describes two negative aspects of Emily's childhood. First she talks about sending Emily to live with her relatives as a toddler. Next she describes sending Emily to a convalescent home as a young child. The mother ultimately feels guilty for the actions she took to ensure a better life for her daughter.


The mother constantly referred to the bad decisions that she had made for Emily throughout her childhood. These decisions caused the mother to constantly nag at her internal self. This is why the reader is shown an internal conflict throughout the story. She cannot seem to deal with the life that she has given her daughter. While Emily's mother always felt as if she had made many bad choices in raising Emily, she also showed that she cared for Emily in a strong sense. Ultimately, Emily's mother wanted her to know that what she possessed on the inside was far more important than what she wore on the outside.

ly's mother had to make was to ship Emily off to stay with relatives. At this point Emily was a mere eight months old. Her mother made this decision so that she could work and save money for their future. Emily came back to her mother when she was two "all baby loveliness gone"

The next big decision that Emily's mother had to make was sending Emily

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 654
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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