"I Stand Here Ironing"

“I Stand Here Ironing” is one of the most depressing stories that I have read in a while. The story takes place as the narrator of the story, Emily’s mom, is on the phone with someone. The person on the line seems to be concerned about Emily’s behavior. As the mother tries to justify herself she takes a trip down memory lane to see the entire truth. Emily was the first child of the narrator. She was born during the Great Depression period. It seems as if times were really hard then and the mother could not financially take care of Emily. When the mother was finally able to take care of Emily, the mother often put her new husband and her new family instead of attending to Emily. At one point, Emily, was old enough for nursing school. During this time, Emily would constantly make up excuses for why she needed to stay home. The mother kept telling herself “ I know” but did not do anything about it. The story never directly says what happened at nursing school but it seems like it was abuse. Throughout Emily’s life she was faced with loneliness, abuse, and the hardships of not having a close relationship with anyone. All of that, plus moving a lot caused a lot of emotional damage to her. Emily’s mother seems to be feeling remorse because she did not do more for Emily. Emily seems to anorexic as well. The story also shows the hardships of being a mother. Presented to society as a rewarding experience the burden of carrying so many responsibilities is often not mentioned. The story tries to reveal that and the importance of having a loving relationship with one’s children. The mother, and Emily, both seem to have a lot of problems that they need to come in terms with.