[1] “I stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen focuses on two main characters: Emily and her mother. While Emily's mother appears to be neglectful and, at times, selfish, upon further examination of her character, her voice, and her appeal to the reader's pathos, the mother actually believes that her daughter's well-being is above of one's own. The couple endures hardships throughout the text, but the mother always does her best to raise her daughter, making every decision with Emily's best interest as a central factor.[2] As Olsen weaves his narrative, he hints and suggests details about the mother. Usually the mother makes an offhand comment about something other than herself, but the particular way the thought is expressed and the choice of words says something about the mother and her feelings. Olsen does not devote much textual space to developing a rich characterization of the mother; the details provided about Emily's mother are scant at best. Most of the information the reader has about the mother comes from context or in reference to Emily's life, a rhetorical indicator that the mother's life is second to Emily's. The narrator, Emily's mother, is never even named correctly, perhaps intentionally so that readers are always meant to think of her as "The Mother", which invites the reader to compare her to the archetypal mother figure.[3] When the narrative opens, the mother's first sentence sets a tone that can easily be missed: "what you asked of me tormented movements back and forth with the iron" (671). The prose has just begun but the reader already knows that the mother is tormented by something. In a few lines we find out that she is tormented by the school counselor's call. Emily's school counselor is looking for help from... middle of the paper... even though the two are certainly related). all irresponsible or negligent to put your child to bed and then go out for an hour or two, assuming the child knows you are not there but will be back soon. Herein lies the absolution for the parents, as it has been suggested that they had gone out others evenings without hurting Emily and the fact that this case stands out so much in the narrator's mind suggests that it was a fluke. Although there are many moments where the mother seems to be neglectful, such as sending Emily away, or leaving her alone at home, although the mother ultimately looks out for Emily's best interest. Being a single mom during the Great Depression, without anyone's support for many years, she held her daughter's well-being above all else, regardless of the difficulties and struggle it would create in her life..