Time and Guilt In Tillie Olsen's narrative "I Stand Here Ironing," I interpreted that there was a reflection of the loss of time and the sense of guilt between a mother and daughter. This is displayed in the authors word choice, point of view, imagery and tone. Olsen begins her narrative while ironing and talking on the phone. Her daughter needs help, she is told. So she begins to ask herself a million questions. She …showed first 75 words of 952 total…

…showed last 75 words of 952 total…forth in the same direction. Guilt, although the word is indirectly used, is sensed every time she speaks of Emily and even more so in the tone of the essay. In conclusion, "I Stand Here Ironing" is about the need for time and the feeling of guilt a mother has for her daughter. Maybe with a little more love and knowledge their lives would not be so static. In other words, less like the iron.