Growing Up in I Stand Here Ironing Essay - 1291 Words

Growing up The oppression of women by society has never been a secret. Many times it has been documented in works of literature, and one classical example of this occurrence is I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen. This story illustrates the consequences of oppression in womens lives. The story leads the reader on an exploratory journey to witness the neglect by Emilys extremely guilty mother. This is described by the childrens cry when they are left with strangers, lacking attention and love due to the fact she is a single parent at a time where this was not commonly accepted in the community, causing a lot of emotional distress. The mothers pain and torment is apparent from the very beginning of the story. Her†¦show more content†¦There is irony in this story in that it begins with a nineteen-year old Emily, the same age of the mother at Emilys birth, I was nineteen. It was the pre-relief, pre-WPA world of depression (Olsen, 368). The societal changes and different expectations for women are illustrated through the description of Emily as a single college student and assertive, while her mom was a product of the 1930s, uneducated, forced to work very young to make ends meet. While Emily has the advantage of a contemporary upbringing, she is still vulnerable and fearful as an adult, as she was a lonely, sick and unpopular child. When she finally came I hardly knew her, walking quick and nervous like her father, looking like her father, thin, and dressed in a shoddy red that yellowed her skin and glared at the pockmarks (Olsen, 368). In many ways, the mother has control over Emilys destiny, which seems to relinquish weakly. For example, she didnt have to bear other children, knowing she was struggling with Emily, emotionally, physically, and financially. It seems as though she didnt even give her new marriage time to develop before there were new babies and responsibilities kept on upon her. She seems to approach life ignorantly, simply succumbing to her circumstances in a passiveShow MoreRelated Examining Conflict in I Stand Here Ironing Essays1416 Words   |  6 Pages In the short story I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen the conflict between a mother whose giving is limited by hardships is directly related to her daughters wrinkled adjustment. Ironing, she reflects upon when she was raising her first-born daughter, Emily. The mother contemplates the consequences of her actions. The mothers life had been interrupted by childbirth, desertion, poverty, numerous jobs, childcare, remarriage, frequent relocat ions, and five children. Her struggling economicRead More The Mother Daughter Relationship in I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen854 Words   |  4 PagesThe Mother Daughter Relationship in I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen I stand here ironing, a unique phrase uttered by a woman in her conquest of life. It may seem like an unwanted phrase to many, but it has deep meaning behind it. This phrase is almost whispered by the narrator of ?I Stand Here Ironing,? Tillie Olsen, and also by many other mothers going through an important stage in their lives. The stage in life that the mother in the story is going through is called child developmentRead MoreEssay on Themes Illustrated in Tillie Olsens I Stand Here Ironing732 Words   |  3 Pagesbegins with a sentence â€Å"I stand here ironing, and what you asked me moves tormented back and forth with the iron† (Olsen 73). It is unusual that the story starts with a description of the mother ironing. This strategy easily draws readers’ attention and introduces the narrator character to the readers. â€Å"I stand here ironing† is a very straightforward and simple description, but yet it conveys a deeper meaning and draws the readers into the narrative. The mother’s ironing provides the metaphor forRead MoreCritical Analysis : I Stand Here Ironing 1175 Words   |  5 Pagesstory by Tillie Olson titled: â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† and in some chapter segments of Russell Baker’s book titled: â€Å"Growing Up†. Both works are reflections on the past told in first person narrative. This conveys a strong sense of authenticity as the past and present are melded together. These reminisces grant an insight into the human condition and the daily problems of ordinary people. However these flashbacks are quite different in tone. â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† is full of pathos as the motherRead More Mother Daughter Relationship in I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen1403 Words   |  6 PagesRelationship in I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† by Tillie Olsen If Only.... Almost every parent dreams of giving their children what they never had growing up. However, unavoidable situations cannot be changed and we are forced to make do with what life gives us. Life’s twists and turns are not always predicted, we get caught up with other things and lose sight of the important ones. In the story, â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing,† Tillie OlsenRead MoreGuilt, An Emotional Rollercoaster. . Robin Gibb, A Famous,906 Words   |  4 Pages Guilt, an Emotional Rollercoaster Robin Gibb, a famous, British songwriter once said, Rarely do I attach guilt to something pleasant. Life is too short. Often, people go through life and do things they are not proud of; yet, years later the guilt returns to haunt them. In Russell Baker s chapter of Growing up, and Tillie Olsen s narrative, I Stand Here Ironing, guilt comes to surface at a time when all seems lost. The stories depict the remorseful feeling one gets when flashing back inRead MoreEssay on The Ideal Parent1070 Words   |  5 PagesThe Ideal Parent Many kids complain about their parents. I hear it all the time from all kinds of kids who come from all sorts of different backgrounds. It seems in the world today parents get all the negative attention, and it seems like all the good they do go unnoticed by the public. Two different kinds of mothers were presented in the stories Two Kinds by Amy Tan, and I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen. Sometimes children complain about their mothers, each wishing they couldRead MoreI Stand Here Ironing973 Words   |  4 Pageswithout jobs. What was once the land of opportunity was now the land of desperation. In â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† a mother looks back on her struggle of raising her daughter Emily, during the great depression. The author, Tillie Olsen, uses the setting of the book to explain the decisions the mother made and the lasting effect it had on her daughter. [ Informative] The story begins with Emily’s mother ironing some clothes for the following day. The reader is witnessing an internal discussion she isRead MoreTillie Olsens I Stand Here Ironing and James Baldwin’s Sonnys Blues855 Words   |  3 Pages Pain and suffering is what brings these two stories together, â€Å"Sonny’s Blue† by James Baldwin and Tillie Olsen’s â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing†, both of the narrator describe their feeling towards their love one. Sonny’s Blues is a story about an ambitious musician’s life as it is seen through his older brother’s eyes. The story originates with Sonny’s older brother, who is an Algebra teacher, and finding out that Sonny has been sent to prison due to drugs. He finds this out by reading about the caseRead MoreThe Struggle For Women s Success1336 Words   |  6 Pageseasy, especially if you are a woman. I believe that having a family is a large contributing factor in women not having leadership positions. I expect to find that women in the business field have decided that having a career shouldn’ t consume their entire lives. America’s ideology will be a huge contributing factor in a woman’s decision having either a career compared to having a family. I know that as a woman wanting to go into the competitive business career, I will have to make a lot of hard choices

The Data Collecting Process And The Online Survey

7.1 Introduction and summary This chapter will phase in the presentation of the findings and the analysis from the focus group (phase 1 of the data collecting process) and the online survey (phase 2 of the data collecting process). Online Survey: A total of 3 responses were received from the targeted 7 potential respondents, which constitutes a 43% response rate for the survey. Figure 1: Online survey respondents From the 3 respondents, 100% completed all of the questions and 71% gave additional comments. The responses gathered from the online survey were analysed using the embedded tool from Survey Monkey. Focus Group: A total of 7 responses were received from the targeted 10 potential respondents, which constitutes a 70%†¦show more content†¦Parents and carers feel that not a lot is done to make information transparent 7.2 Results This section starts by presenting the findings obtained from the research, by setting out the results of the focus group completed with the Abilities Group. Furthermore, experience and knowledge of existing employment help and advice services from those with LDD who have accessed these services are summarised along with the results from the parent and carer questionnaires. In more detail, the two areas of the research are examined to provide a case study of the knowledge and personal experiences of employment help and advices services used by young people with LDD, along with their parents and carers conceptualisation of these services. 7.3 Background information of participants in the study Seven participants completed the focus group and three parent and carers completed the questionnaire between November 2015 and February 2016. Before the research began two meetings were attended with the group to firstly meet with group members and secondly to measure their level of understanding and their suitability as participants. The Abilities group host their meetings in small town in Northumberland, with some of the group members living closer to the city and represent a broad spectrum of young adults with LDD. Although some of the members have to travel some distance to attend the meetings they all expressed an interest and

The V6 Disaster free essay sample

My hood is up in the parking lot of Target at 9:45 pm on a Tuesday night. I’ve had my license for 2 months, and a car for less. The engine is smoking, the car is radiating heat, and I stand there wishing I had someone to call to come get me. Anyone at all, at that point.I could call my parents, but they’re busy with my sisters and couldn’t drop everything to come get me.Besides, what would I do with the car? If I didn’t figure out how to get it home, we’d have a problem. I was on my own. Since my car’s radiator leaked for awhile, I knew the coolant was either low or empty. When the smoke started blowing across the windshield while I drove, I pulled into the parking lot, turned off the car, and popped the hood. Around then, a couple of guys came over to see if I needed help. We will write a custom essay sample on The V6 Disaster or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"No, I’ll be fine.Thanks anyway.† I replied, tried to get them to go away.I knew it was late, and I’m a girl, and the odds of 3 against one were not in my favor. â€Å"Are you sure? Do you know what you’re doing? I know my way around an engine real well.† One of them said, while another echoed â€Å"Yeah, do you know what you’re doin? I mean, you’re just a girl. We can handle this.† That set me right off.â€Å"Oh. Wow.I see. I’ll figure it out.You can all just stop lookin’ at me like I’m in a zoo, and head back to your car.I’m fine.† The third dude finally chimes in â€Å"Hey, lady, chill.We were just tryna help.Don’t get so hysterical. We’re gone, jeez.C’mon, guys.† Once they left, I sifted through my car for a bottle of water, because my dad told me water is a substitute for coolant in the summer it’ll keep the engine from overheating. I found a half-full bottle of water in the back of my car.I went into the glovebox, found the car’s handbook-manual-thing, and looked up where the coolant tank was under the hood.I stared at the mess of engine and parts and cables and became uneasy, because I did not want to screw up the engine.I had a point to prove, now my pride was on the line.Sure, I’m â€Å"just† a girl, but I could manage myself. Once I distinguished where the radiator was, right between the wiper fluid and the power steering fluid on the left side of the engine, I shook myself a little to get it together and poured the water into the radiator. It came up to minimum level required to function, and I shut the hood.I waited for the engine to cool a bit more, tested the heat level by placing my fingertips on the engine- warm, but not scorching.I turned the car on, and the temperature gauge returned to normal.I sighed in exhaustion but began to grin, as I laughed in relief.I had solved the issue, and while it doesn’t seem like much, I felt that much more independent.I, satisfied I hadn’t turned into some damsel in distress under pressure, have become assured in fixing unexpected problems. Figuring out the logical mechanics of the car made sense.I want to go into engineering, and looking at something and understanding how it works is one of my favorite feelings.I like to fix machines with my hands, work, get dirty be able to do things.Alone with an issue like that made necessity the mother of invention, and this lesson has helped me solve so many problems since.