The Stereotypical Responsibilities of Women - Literature review Example

6 December A Feminist Analysis of “I Stand Here Ironing” Ironing and cooking are some of the stereotypical responsibilities of women. “I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Lerner particularly uses ironing as the metonymy of womens domestic functions. The story depicts the “personal interior monologue” of a mother (Gawthrop 3), who believes that her actions and attitudes as a mother has influenced her daughter Emilys development as an individual. This paper applies feminist criticism to this short story. The feminist criticism that will be used includes an analysis of the economic (Baker; Frye), political (Kaplan), cultural, and social structures (Schweitzer) that shape womens experiences and identities. It will analyze how Lerner used setting, symbolism, plot, and the characters of the mother and Emily to understand the theme of motherhood as a metaphor for womens multiple roles in a patriarchal culture. Using feminist criticism, the mothers experiences demonstrate that the patriarchal culture of American society have affected her struggles as a mother, which in turn, affected her daughters own struggles as a woman, and yet despite of social impositions, the mother and Emily manage to become independent and to develop their identities. The patriarchal culture shaped socio-economic conditions that made motherhood a personal struggle with conflicting goals. The mere title of the story demonstrates the physical tribulations of motherhood. She is standing, while she irons. Standing can be quite tiring, especially as the heat of the iron spreads around her. Furthermore, ironing is the metonymy of womens domestic duties. Mothers do not only iron, they also cook, do the laundry, take care of the children, clean the house, and at present, they are also forced to earn money, when their husbands are either gone or cannot fully provide for their familys needs. “Ironing” is a symbol that stands for the rest of multiple duties that mothers have to endure, because society imposes that they alone should be responsible for these domestic duties. Ironing is a symbol for the woman who is an eternal slave of the mans world. Baker argues that economic conditions impact womanhood, especially mothers. Economic conditions are not separate spheres from feminist concerns (Baker 655). The mother in the story is compelled to become both a traditional mother and a traditional father. Emilys father left them, because he “could no longer endure” “sharing want with [them]” (Lerner). He left her with four children to fend for, and the mother says that it was hard to do that in the “pre-relief, pre-WPA world of the depression” (Lerner). When Emily was eight months old, her mother has to leave her to an indifferent babysitter. After finding a job hashing, she was forced to leave Emily at the father’s family. Then, after saving enough money for Emily’s return, Emily had chicken pox, which made her so thin that her mother “hardly knew her” (Lerner). This part of the plot already foreshadows the whole life of Emily. She will remain in her mothers periphery, because of gender, social, economic, political, and cultural factors. The patriarchal culture of society unfairly demands women to sacrifice their identities for motherhood, and yet it does not help these mothers “raise” their children, so mothers have to perform numerous primary economic tasks by themselves. Lerner shows the interconnection between cultural and socio-economic conditions. On the one hand, society requires women to take care of their childrens emotional, mental, and physical needs. To do so is essential in becoming a “good mother.” This is the reason why the mother feels bad that she cannot be there for Emily in all the times she needed her. She knows that she has not been a “good” mother to Emily, as she struggles to be a mother to the rest of her children, while also working long shifts to provide for them. On the other hand, the mother knows that she has to earn a living to buy their basic needs and she will prefer to prioritize this economic duty over her other gender roles. Soon, the mother realizes that she cannot even give them their basic needs, so she has to leave Emily at a home for poor children. Because the mother is poor, her children suffers more; they suffer from physical and emotional isolation. This convalescent center affects Emily greatly, because it resembles a prison where the children could hardly contact their parents and they are not allowed to also have personal possessions. They are also not persuaded to make friends with other children. Indeed, they are small “inmates” in the world of poverty (Gawthrop 3). This experience shapes Emily and turns her into a thin and insecure child, who has a hard time forming and maintaining close human relationships too. Thus, when the mother sacrificed her family, she not only sacrificed herself, but also the ability of her children to emotionally adjust in a world of poverty and uncertainty. Living in a man-ruled culture complicates the ability of women to develop their identities. Emily has become so thin because of her subsequent illnesses. Being “thin” is not “in,” however, because of Shirley Temples popularity. Girls are expected to be “chubby blond replicas” of Temple (Lerner). Emily did not have any friends, partially because of her appearance and her familys constant moving around. They had to move around a great deal, because her mother has to be where the jobs are. The mother also have problems finding her selfhood, as she balances conflicting duties of family and work duties. She is already ironing, yet when she hears her baby Ronnie cry, she also has to attend to him. She remarks: “...motherhood is...when the ear is not ones own but must always be racked for...the child call” (Lerner). This statement indicates that mothers do not own their bodies and time. Their duties ensure that they do not have time to respond to their own needs and interests. The plot shows constant interruptions. Gawthrop says that the first-person narrative technique of “I Stand Here Ironing” enables Lerner to develop a “personal interior monologue” (Gawthrop 3). The interruptions to her monologue stand for the interruptions to her ability to do her duties. At the same time, they are interruptions to her ability to develop a full sense of self. The short story shows that women can be women, but they have to be women according to patriarchal conventions. They must place their husbands and children first and last. The idea of the womans self is not important for the patriarchal society. The mother believes that she has failed to be a mother for Emily, which deeply hurts her and Emily too, but she has also come to the understanding that she did her best, given her circumstances. The mother receives notice from Emilys teacher who is concerned of Emilys behavior and would want to speak with the mother. The mother knows that she is not “the key” or she cannot be used as a key in understanding her children (Lerner). She highlights that Emily is an independent woman, because her mother has not been there for her most of the time: “She has lived for nineteen years. There is all that life that has happened outside of me, beyond of me” (Lerner). She feels that she could not have done any more than what she had done in the past. She feels guilty for not being the kind of mother that Emily would have needed, but she believes that she did her best as a mother and a human being. Guilt and resignation fill her: “Or I will become engulfed with all I did or did not do, with what should have been and what cannot be helped” (Lerner). When Emily was sick with measles, her mother just gave birth to Susan. Because she has a new baby, the gulf between her and Emily grows. She has little time and energy to give Emily, though she gives more to Susan. She knows she could have done more for Emily, but then again, she cannot retrieve the past and make up for her shortcomings as a mother. As a result, Emily grows as a sullen, but independent child. The mother remembers that during Emilys nursery years, she would make up reasons to not go to school, but “never a direct protest, never rebellion” like other kids (Lerner). Emily has developed a raw and “somber” (Lerner) personality, because she grew up with hardly any parent caring for her and loving her. The mother knows what she lacks and that she also does not know what else she has not done for her kids. But she has a quiet resignation in her fate. Her Emilys development is “beyond her” (Lerner). It is beyond her control and wishes. She did what she has to do and that was enough for her. Politics is one of the shaping factors of womanhood in the story. Kaplan asserts that for women, “the personal is political” (752), because political institutions impact womens experiences. The mother stresses that she had children during the “pre-relief, pre-WPA world of the depression” (Lerner). The storys setting made it harder to be a mother, because the state did not provide sufficient social and economic support for low-income, single parents. The main consequence is that the mother had to juggle caregiving and work responsibilities. She used day care centers and even a convalescent home for Emily, but all these social welfare services were limited and had negative effects on her as a mother and Emily. As a mother, she felt her weaknesses. She can only focus on earning money and for that, she has to leave her caregiving responsibilities to others. The greatest impact is on Emily. Moi explores the values of writers and how they impact their writing, as well as how readers own values and biases impact their interpretation of the written text. The mothers sometimes-ambivalent attitude toward Emily signifies Lerners attitude toward feminine roles. For her, mothers should not be blamed for their shortcomings to their children. These women already sacrifice too much in order to raise societys future human resources. Her values show sympathy for mothers and their uniquely subjugated conditions. Still, Lerner demonstrates sympathy for children. Emily has grown aloof, almost never smiling, like her mother. More than that, she did not also reach the uppermost potential of her talent for comedy. The mother reflects on Emilys gift: “You ought to do something about her gift like that- but without money or knowing how, what does one do” (Lerner). The mother understands that she should have nurtured Emilys gift, but lack of resources and knowledge disabled her from helping Emily develop her talents further. If only the state helped her economically, she could have helped Emily become the best comedian she can be. The state has the responsibility to support low-income parents. Without this support, women had more difficulties as mothers and affected daughters. Emily has changed from an insecure child to a secure adolescent, despite socio-economic and cultural constraints on her pursuit of identity. Feminist criticism finds institutional factors that hinder self-growth, but it also recognizes the capacity of women to nurture their identities, whatever their conditions might be. Her face was “closed and somber” and rarely smiled. It is because her mother rarely smiled too, but it is acceptable, since who can smile when one is always tired and stressed from working and working? Emily is also “skeleton thin”, not only physically, but emotionally too. Her mother rarely touched and loved her in demonstrative ways. As the eldest, she is expected to help her mother around the house too and by doing these roles, the more Emily felt socially and emotionally isolated. It is ironic then that she develops a gift for comedy. There is situational irony, when a sad child becomes an expert comedian. Her mother describes the new identity that Emily develops: “Was this Emily? The control, the command, the convulsing and deadly clowning, the spell, then the roaring, stamping audience, unwilling to let this rare and precious laughter out of their lives” (Lerner). There is further irony when a mother cannot recognize her daughter. It indicates their emotional distance. Then, there is also situational irony when the audience loves Emily and cannot let her go. Emilys own mother, on the contrary, had no time for Emily and always finds herself leaving her with different people. Fortunately, Emily grows more maturely and learns to be in control of her identity. She finds sanctuary in her talent and its ability to change her to someone she truly is: a strong, independent woman. The mother has both shelved and tried to find her identity. She knows that her conditions made it hard to be an individual. She says that she was a “young” and “distracted mother” (Lerner). That they were poor made her life harder, and it made her children suffer too. Schweitzer describes feminist criticism as intersecting issues of race, sexuality, gender, and social class. The mothers personality is also a sum of her race, sexuality, gender, and social class. But she has hope in the future and in Emily. She realizes that she does not have to defend Emily. She says: “Let her be” (Lerner). At the same time, she understands that she also has time to develop her identity: “There is still enough left to live by” (Lerner). She knows that she can only act as a facilitator to her childs growth: “Only help her to know-help make it so there is cause for her to know-that she is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron” (Lerner). Lerner is saying that the mother will help her child understand that she can be more. She can be who she wants to be and no one can force her to be otherwise. The iron of her life should not be society. She should be her own iron. Feminist criticism analyzes the gender issues of “I Stand Here Ironing,” although social, economic, and political factors are also examined. The story depicts the struggles of a mother, which affected the struggles of her child, also a woman. Their patriarchal culture affected their pursuit of their identities by domesticating their selves and chaining them to their domestic roles. Poverty and political structures linked them further to their socio-economic hardships. Lerner shows, nevertheless, that these women are still capable of escaping their realities to some extent, through their talents and ability to go beyond their circumstances. Somehow, they still became women in their own terms, women who are unsure where they can go, but at least know that they are individuals who deserve respect and time to grow. Works Cited Baker, Jennifer J. “Economic Criticism as Feminist Intervention.” Early American Literature 44 (Nov. 2009): 653-656. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Frye, Joanne S. “I Stand Here Ironing: Motherhood as Experience And Metaphor.” Studies in Short Fiction 18.3 (1981): 287-292. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Gawthrop, Betty G. “I Stand Here Ironing.” Masterplots II: Short Story Series (2004): 1-3. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Kaplan, Cora. “Chapter 55: Feminist Literary Criticism.” Encyclopedia of Literature & Criticism (1990): 750-763. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Lerner, Tillie. “I Stand Here Ironing.” Moi, Toril. “Part I: Anglo-American Feminist Criticism: Chapter 2: Images of Women Criticism.” Sexual/Textual Politics (2002): 41-48. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Paul, Lissa. “Chapter 9: From Sex-Role Stereotyping to Subjectivity: Feminist Criticism.” Understanding Childrens Literature (1998): 112-123. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Schweitzer, Ivy. “My Body / Not to Either State Inclined: Early American Women Challenge Feminist Criticism.” Early American Literature 44.2 (2009): 405-410. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Annotated Bibliography Baker, Jennifer J. “Economic Criticism as Feminist Intervention.” Early American Literature 44 (Nov. 2009): 653-656. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Baker argues that economic criticism can add an important dimension to feminist criticism, because in reality, womens issues cannot be detached from their economic roots and implications, especially when poverty is concerned. This article is relevant to the economic concerns of the narrator in “I Stand Here Ironing.” Frye, Joanne S. “I Stand Here Ironing: Motherhood as Experience And Metaphor.” Studies in Short Fiction 18.3 (1981): 287-292. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Frye argues that in “I Stand Here Ironing,” motherhood is shown as both an experience and metaphor. Motherhood is a metaphor for developing a feminine identity. Motherhood is also an experience that a mother-child relationship shapes. This article is important, because it analyzes motherhood as a personal and social experience. Gawthrop, Betty G. “I Stand Here Ironing.” Masterplots II: Short Story Series (2004): 1-3. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Gawthrop says that the first-person narrative technique of “I Stand Here Ironing” enables Lerner to develop a “personal interior monologue” (Gawthrop 3). Gawthrop believes that the theme of the story is that a mother can only hope to have a close relationship with her children, but poverty will be a sure obstacle. This article is important, because it defines themes that can also be related to feminist criticism. Kaplan, Cora. “Chapter 55: Feminist Literary Criticism.” Encyclopedia of Literature & Criticism (1990): 750-763. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Kaplan examines the development of feminist literary criticism from the language of Virgina Woolf. Woolf believes that the “new colours and shadows” in womens writing have changed women from passive objects to active members of society (qtd. in Kaplan 750). Kaplan explores different strands of feminist thought, including “the personal is political” (752) and the domestic subjugation of women. This article is important to the research, because it discusses the many discourses of feminist criticism. Moi, Toril. “Part I: Anglo-American Feminist Criticism: Chapter 2: Images of Women Criticism.” Sexual/Textual Politics (2002): 41-48. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Moi explores how feminist criticism can be related to readers. It adds a reader response dimension to feminist criticism, so that readers can also examine female writers brand of feminism. This article is important, because it analyzes the values of writers and how they impact their writing, as well as how readers own values and biases impact their interpretation of the written text. Paul, Lissa. “Chapter 9: From Sex-Role Stereotyping to Subjectivity: Feminist Criticism.” Understanding Childrens Literature (1998): 112-123. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Paul argues that feminist criticism aims to destabilize hierarchical structures (112). She asserts the value of “semiotics, deconstruction, ideology and subjectivity” in understanding childrens literature through feminist lens (112). This article is important to my research, because it offers a way of rereading text that mirrors feminine issues and concerns. Schweitzer, Ivy. “My Body / Not to Either State Inclined: Early American Women Challenge Feminist Criticism.” Early American Literature 44.2 (2009): 405-410. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. Literary Reference Center. Schweitzer describes feminist criticism as intersecting issues of race, sexuality, gender, and social class. This article is important, because she illustrates the difficulties of women in writing as women. Women during this time experienced writing quality controls that undermined their ability to express their emotions and ideas about the society they live in. This article is important, because it underscores the impact of social, economic, and political factors on defining the concept of womanhood. Read More