I Stand Here Ironing

This short story was a sad account from a mother about her oldest daughter, Emily. The story from the time Emily was born until now - primarily the regrets and the heaviness that the mother still holds over Emily's life. 

Level 1 - How was Emily different than the other children?

Level 2 - Why does Emily need help?

Level 3 - What was the "cost of Emily's goodness?

i actually really liked this piece. i feel that it was brutally honest. the piece starts off with a crisp introduction " i stand here ironing" - a repetitive somber motion, that when one is ironing, they are often lost in a daze - lost in their thoughts inside this tedious action. 

whoever says this to the mother - someone that knows emily - tells the mother that she would manage time to come in and take about her daughter with them so that this unknown person can help her. 

However, the mom backs away from this question. she immediately refers to herself as not being able to understand her daughter - not being a good thing for her.

this piece demonstrates the guilt that the mother feels about emily's childhood. she sums it up completely in the last paragraph - especially when she says "she is a child of her age, of depression, of war, of fear" - all these things that "sum up" different areas of her childhood that the mother affected and feels regretful towards. 

the mother indirectly is saying that she couldve done something different for emily. while emily was struggling with her age, with her body - she couldve been there more. while the mother was young and taking care of other children, she couldve not sent emily away. she couldve been there. while emily was away and losing weight, the mother couldve been there.

but now the mother sits here - and "stands here ironing" - lost in her guilt, in her depression. it is a long self pity because now she truly believes that emily will not be able to live life to its fullest because the effect that the mother had on her. there is not much choice or hope left for emily in her mothers eyes. just that she does not want her to lead down the same life she did.