Tillie Olsen's I stand here Ironing By susan Cahill's Essay

Tillie Olsen's I stand here Ironing By susan Cahill's - Essay Example She seems to be worn down by life and does not care about much anymore. I was touched by how the mother in the story is so neglectful of her children. It seems her oldest daughter taught her much about herself, life, and parenting. However, with her knowledge, the mother still does very little to change her life. She thinks that her oldest daughter is basically a lost cause because she is older and tainted by the world. The girl is talented and has much potential but the mother simply looks at her and thinks that it is a shame that her girl will never fully blossom. This is a defeatist attitude and a sad one because the mother is simply too tired to care. The mother seems content with the fact that there is nothing she can do about her situation. It is also sad that the mother finds ways to blame her children when she can. She claims that Emily did not want to be touched and that she was "too much to herself, her life was such that she kept too much in herself" (Olsen 590). In additi on, she sates, "My wisdom came too late . . . she is a child of her age, of depression, of war, of fear" (Olsen 590). Here I see the mother simply giving up because she is tired and all she wants to do is take a nap. This mother has more control and influence that she wants to believe. To turn things around, it might take some hard work.