Name__________________________
Date_____________
Period________
Tillie Olsen’s “I Stand Here Ironing”
Answer the following questions using direct references to the text. Be specific and concise.
1. Who is the “you” in the first sentence? When do you definitely know who it is?
2. Is the narrator static or dynamic? Justify your opinion with a quote from the beginning or the end.
3. How is the mother’s conflict with the daughter different than the daughter’s conflict with the mother?
4. Detail the mother’s internal conflict.
5. Identify factors/circumstances within her control for which the mother seems to take the blame and
accept as her mistakes. (She takes the blame for X when she says…)
6. Analyze the penultimate paragraph. Why does the narrator say this equation would not be an
adequate explanation of Emily’s character?
7. Does the final paragraph express a resignation or an affirmation? Explain
8. Explain the ironing metaphor in relation to…
…the mother’s wish for her daughter; and,
…the mother’s view of her own life.