How not to raise your children
“I stand here ironing” is the one of the four stories from the book “Tell me a riddle” published in 1961 by American writer Tillie Olsen. The story is about a woman who saddens about her daughter’s life and about circumstances that influenced her own life during Great Depression and World War II. It partially reflects author’s life experience. The mother tells the story about tough life of hers and her oldest daughter Emily. Mother fails to provide to her daughter moral support, care about her education
Emily’s mother did not pay attention and did not care at all about her education. It is shown in the story multiple times. Narrator often kept her daughter at home for a different reasons, to play with her younger sister Susan or because of Emily’s imaginary illness. Although, she knew how much Emily struggled in the school: “School was a worry to her. She was not glib or quick in a world where glibness and quickness were easily confused with ability to learn.” As narrator tells her story further, she gives another example of her neglecting and carelessness for Emily’s education. When mother …show more content…
Perfect example was when Emily had a crush on a boy from her class and that boy liked another girl: “Months later she told me how she had taken pennies from my purse to buy him candy. “Licorice was his favorite and I brought him some every day, but he still liked Jennifer better’n me. Why Mommy why?” A question I could never answer.” Emily was seeking advice and support, but her mother failed to deliver it. When Emily first performed on the school stage as a comedian she called her mother at work to express her excitement and happiness: “One morning she phoned me at work, hardly understandable through the weeping: “Mother, I did it. I won, I won; they gave me first prize; they clapped and clapped and wouldn’t let me go.” But mother said nothing in return, a good mother would cheer their
“I stand here ironing” is the one of the four stories from the book “Tell me a riddle” published in 1961 by American writer Tillie Olsen. The story is about a woman who saddens about her daughter’s life and about circumstances that influenced her own life during Great Depression and World War II. It partially reflects author’s life experience. The mother tells the story about tough life of hers and her oldest daughter Emily. Mother fails to provide to her daughter moral support, care about her education
Emily’s mother did not pay attention and did not care at all about her education. It is shown in the story multiple times. Narrator often kept her daughter at home for a different reasons, to play with her younger sister Susan or because of Emily’s imaginary illness. Although, she knew how much Emily struggled in the school: “School was a worry to her. She was not glib or quick in a world where glibness and quickness were easily confused with ability to learn.” As narrator tells her story further, she gives another example of her neglecting and carelessness for Emily’s education. When mother …show more content…
Perfect example was when Emily had a crush on a boy from her class and that boy liked another girl: “Months later she told me how she had taken pennies from my purse to buy him candy. “Licorice was his favorite and I brought him some every day, but he still liked Jennifer better’n me. Why Mommy why?” A question I could never answer.” Emily was seeking advice and support, but her mother failed to deliver it. When Emily first performed on the school stage as a comedian she called her mother at work to express her excitement and happiness: “One morning she phoned me at work, hardly understandable through the weeping: “Mother, I did it. I won, I won; they gave me first prize; they clapped and clapped and wouldn’t let me go.” But mother said nothing in return, a good mother would cheer their