http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/476272602

Tillie Olsen: "I Stand Here Ironing"

Set during the 1930s, this autobiographical dramatization is about an impoverished working-class mother who must hold down a job and care for her children at the same time. Central to the plot is the metaphor of a mother ironing her daughter's dress as she mentally attempts to "iron" out her uneasy relationship with her oldest daughter through a stream-of-consciousness monologue. The story exemplifies the unfairness of some women's lives and portrays the self-doubt of mothers when they know their children need more nurturing attention. The story raises questions about individual identity, the role of women in society, the effects of poverty and abandonment on children, and the nature of intimacy.

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