Question

In at least 150 words, discuss the tone of the narrator in “I Stand Here Ironing,” and explain how it impacts the telling of the story.

Answer 1

'I Stand Here Ironing' is one of the short stories featured in the short story collection titled 'Tell Me A Riddle', by author Tillie Olsen, one of the first female writers to be part of the first generation of the feminist movement. It was published in 1961.

This particular story is written using first person narrative, meaning that the story is narrated by the same character in the story, just as if we were inside of their head.

This narrator or character in the story, is remembering how she parented her first child, Emily. Using her thoughts, and how she relates them to the story, she attempts to describe how she would have raised Emily if she had been more experienced and had better options at hand. 'What can I do now, that it is too late?'  is one of the main questions that she tries to solve in her narrative.

It creates a deep impact on the reader, because the story is narrated from a personal stance, from a more intimate point of view, and it allows the reader to create a deeper connection with the story and the way that the mother of five more children would have done things differently.

It is certainly, one of Olsen's most famous works, Have a great day and a wonderful week! :)