Answer:
Great depression/stream of consciousness/Regrets and guilts.
Explanation:
As I Stand here Ironing is the story of Emily's life. Her mother -the narrator- is called by some school officials to talk about Emily's behavior at school. As she stands there ironing, she recalls their lives regretfully.
Emily was born during the Great Depression and her fahter left her and her mother because he wouldn't want to 'share poverty' with them. Her mother went through many hardships to raise her up, including the fact that Emily had to be sent away to live with relatives. Her mother remarried -as a symbol of the Great Depression's end, a rebirth, a new life- and years later Emily's stepfather is sent away to fight in WWII.
Emily seems to have lost faith in life and she sees herself intimidated by her sister. In the end, there is a sense of hope in the narrator's voice but the regretful mood stays on.
The Great Depression and the WWII are both very symbolics historical context, they show hardship, lack of hope, poverty and fear among other negative ideas. The setting and the lonely mother standing there ironing expresses the regret and guilt she has for not having been able to raise Emily differently.
