Analysis Of Emily Awakening By Tillie Olsen
“ I STAND HERE IRONING “ is a short story written by Tillie Olsen . It is a conversation between the narrator ( a mother ) and unnamed person about her daughter ( Emily ) . In this short story , Olson reflects motherhood and how can a lovely and ordinary experience turn into a painful and exhausting experience . Moreover , she represents the challenges of a working – class woman . So , “ I STAND HERE IRONING “ sheds light on traditional gender roles and the two female’s strong bond .
Tyson states that “ Traditional gender roles cast men as rational, strong, protective, and decisive; they cast women as emotional (irrational), weak, nurturing, and submissive “ ( 85 ) . so the father in this short story should be the provider , the one who is responsible for the welfare of the family ; on the contrary , the father leaves the mother …show more content…
This close bond is created despite the distance when the mother had to leave her daughter to the neighbors and go to work . In addition , when she remarried and left her daughter alone for hours . Emily ( the mother’s daughter ) kept this relationship strong by crying and finding excuses to stay with her mother and by supporting her mother and helping her when her stepfather was away . Also , she started to look like her mother who holds the responsibility at a young age as in “ she had to help be a mother and housekeeper , and shopper “ ( 5 ) . So , this short story shows how supportive women are to each other . Eventually , traditional gender roles and the two female’s strong bond are the focus of this short story . In “ I STAND HERE IRONING “, Olsen shows the stereotypes in any patriarchal society
Tyson states that “ Traditional gender roles cast men as rational, strong, protective, and decisive; they cast women as emotional (irrational), weak, nurturing, and submissive “ ( 85 ) . so the father in this short story should be the provider , the one who is responsible for the welfare of the family ; on the contrary , the father leaves the mother …show more content…
This close bond is created despite the distance when the mother had to leave her daughter to the neighbors and go to work . In addition , when she remarried and left her daughter alone for hours . Emily ( the mother’s daughter ) kept this relationship strong by crying and finding excuses to stay with her mother and by supporting her mother and helping her when her stepfather was away . Also , she started to look like her mother who holds the responsibility at a young age as in “ she had to help be a mother and housekeeper , and shopper “ ( 5 ) . So , this short story shows how supportive women are to each other . Eventually , traditional gender roles and the two female’s strong bond are the focus of this short story . In “ I STAND HERE IRONING “, Olsen shows the stereotypes in any patriarchal society