"I Stand Here Ironing"

The mother believes, that she has not given her daughter a good upbringing. That she was not a good mother. I believe, that back in the Great Depression, that it was hard to raise a family. When Emily's father left her, she became a only parent for awhile, so she needed to be the sole provider for the family. Even in today's society, a single parent can't make a decent living on one income.
I think she thought she did what was for the best at that time for Emily, by sending her off to live with relatives and to convalescent home. In my opinion, I can't see sending your own child away for any amount of time. Throughout the whole story, Emily has been put on a back burner, as her mother has other children and attends to them. I think she could of been a better mother, a mother that was more caring, one that paid more attention to her. A mother through tough times, does not send your child away. It does state in the story that she did love her though, "I loved her. There were all the acts of love" (284). Is sending your child away an act of love?
But even after all she had been through, at the end of the story she turned out ok. Others seen her as a bright and talented person. "You ought to do something about her, with a gift like that" (288). Even after all she had been through growing up, she turns out to be a happy, talented, smart girl.