From the beginning of time itself the battle between mother and daughter has existed. In Tillie Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing," the battle between mother and daughter is not the "norm." It's actually maternal apathy at its best. Olsen's character, Emily, is developed through her mother's regrets regarding Emily's upbringing, her strained relationship with her younger, more self-assured sister, and the distant relationship she shares with her mother.

Emily's mother regretted much about Emily's upbringing. Emily's father deserted the family leaving Emily's mother to provide for them both. In the statement, ."..for Emily's father, who could "no longer endure" (he wrote in his goodbye note) "sharing want with us"; Olsen suggests there was a "suffering" on the fathers part. Shortly after her father left Emily's mother was forced to send away due to poverty and insufficient child care. This was the first indication of Emily's mother guilt as...