"I Stand Here Ironing"

P. 298; QST. #3

Emily’s mother feels guilty for not always being there for her daughter and making her into the cold child she became. Partly, I do believe she is to blame; however, like Emily’s mother had said “She is a child of her age, of depression, of war, of fear” (Olsen, 289). This means that there isn’t much that could be done to save Emily; people were lucky to have held a job during the depression. Her mother admits “I was at the terrible growing years. War years. I do not remember them well. I was working, there were four smaller ones now, there was not time for her” (287). Apart from that, Emily’s father left her mother who was nineteen years old at the time (288). I don’t think it helped Emily to be sent to a convalescent home. We know that her mother really loved her, but if Emily was in her best interest she would have understood that it wouldn’t help Emily any. I do understand that times were hard and she was a single mother raising five children, but I think she could have done better for her eldest daughter. Emily could have benefited her by really helping to raise the younger children and do chores. However, maybe Emily would still have the same lonely feeling inside. Either way, being sent away couldn’t have done anything good to her, only force her to grow cold. Overall, Emily’s mother did what she could to survive. Things could have been better, but as Emily got older she must have grown warmer inside. “…she comes back in, kisses me, and says quite lightly, “in a couple of years when we’ll all be atom-dead they won’t matter a bit” (288).