I Stand Here Ironing Notes
Reading Log
Summary:
"I stand here ironing" is about a mother reflecting on the past she shared with her daughter Emily. Their life consisted of many unfortunate events beginning with Emily's father abandoning them at a very young age. The mother couldn't afford to spend much time with her to provide enough love and affection as she struggled to make ends meet. This lead Emily to have a rough childhood plagued with illness, insecurity and unhappiness. Although she had a difficult childhood, Emily blossoms into a comedic genius which puzzles the mother but also assures her that Emily will find her way in the world without assistance.
Analysis:
"The parents stand below shrieking up to be heard and the children shriek down to be heard, and between them the invisible wall "Not To Be Contaminated by Parental Germs or Physical Affection." (4) This passage is significant as the balcony Emily is standing on symbolizes the emotional distance between her and her mother. Although they are physically close to one another in the same compound, they are on different floors. Being on different floors is representative of how they are on different emotional levels and although they may be close to one another, Emily is out of her mother's reach emotionally. The "invisible wall" symbolizes the mother's various responsibilities such as working excessively and taking care of the younger children which consume her time and act as a barrier that disallows effective, healthy communication to occur at home despite having direct access to each other. The utilization of the word "shriek" further reinforces the idea that their ability to communicate is flawed. Even though they're in clear sight of one another, they have to shriek and yell in order to be heard which represents the massive communication barrier between them that makes a task as simple as mother-daughter communication a difficult task.
Lastly, the passage mentions "Not To Be Contaminated by Parental Germs or Physical
Summary:
"I stand here ironing" is about a mother reflecting on the past she shared with her daughter Emily. Their life consisted of many unfortunate events beginning with Emily's father abandoning them at a very young age. The mother couldn't afford to spend much time with her to provide enough love and affection as she struggled to make ends meet. This lead Emily to have a rough childhood plagued with illness, insecurity and unhappiness. Although she had a difficult childhood, Emily blossoms into a comedic genius which puzzles the mother but also assures her that Emily will find her way in the world without assistance.
Analysis:
"The parents stand below shrieking up to be heard and the children shriek down to be heard, and between them the invisible wall "Not To Be Contaminated by Parental Germs or Physical Affection." (4) This passage is significant as the balcony Emily is standing on symbolizes the emotional distance between her and her mother. Although they are physically close to one another in the same compound, they are on different floors. Being on different floors is representative of how they are on different emotional levels and although they may be close to one another, Emily is out of her mother's reach emotionally. The "invisible wall" symbolizes the mother's various responsibilities such as working excessively and taking care of the younger children which consume her time and act as a barrier that disallows effective, healthy communication to occur at home despite having direct access to each other. The utilization of the word "shriek" further reinforces the idea that their ability to communicate is flawed. Even though they're in clear sight of one another, they have to shriek and yell in order to be heard which represents the massive communication barrier between them that makes a task as simple as mother-daughter communication a difficult task.
Lastly, the passage mentions "Not To Be Contaminated by Parental Germs or Physical