I Stand Here Ironing: Character Analysis of Emily Essay -- Tillie Olse

The short story I Stand Here Ironing (1961) by Tillie Olsen is a touching narration of a fix trying to understand and at the same time justifying her daughters conduct. Frye interprets the story as a hypothesis of a m other reconstructing her daughters past in an attempt to express present behavior (Frye 287). An unnamed person has brought attention and concern to her mother expressing, Shes a youngster who needs help and whom Im deeply interested in helping (Olsen 290). Emily is a nineteen-year-old complex girl who is atypical, both physically and in personality.Emilys upbringing is plagued with difficulties. She is the first-born of a young mother and the eldest of five brothers and sisters. As a baby, she is constantly left at the explosive charge of others while her mother had to work after her father abandons them. Additionally, she is often sick, triggering a series of events that have emotionally affected her life. She definitely experiences a stressful gain (Frye 288).As a little girl, Emily clearly indicates to be unlike most children her age. For starters, various illnesses tremendously affect Emilys physique which makes her look different compared to other little girls. Even her mother expresses All the baby loveliness gone (Olsen 291), after had gotten chicken pox. Another consequence derived from being constantly sick is that she looks fragile, skeletal frame thin (Olsen 292). Unfortunately, she is full aware of not fulfilling the stereotype of a girl her age and she does not like it, Olsens narrator clearly statesShe fretted more or less her appearance, thin and dark and foreign-looking at a time when every little girl was supposed to look or thought she should look a embonpoint blonde replica of Shirl... ... affect her future. Certainly, Emily is remarkably different in many ways due to a troubled, lonely childhood (Frye 288). She has a series of features that makes her unique. In terms of physical appearance, she is thin and dark looking because of health problems. As for personality she is insecure however behaves well and she does not show her emotions. Perhaps her complexity gives the idea or the impression that she needs help and people perceive her as a troubled girl.Works CitedFrye, Joanne S. I STAND HERE IRONING MOTHERHOOD AS EXPERIENCE AND METAPHOR. Studies in Short Fiction 18.3 (1981) 287. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.Olsen, Tillie. I Stand Here Ironing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mendell. Literature Reading, Reacting, Writing. Compact Seventh Edition. Boston Wadsworth, 2011. 290-296. Print.