"I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen

What is addressed at the beginning and end of the story that serves as a framework for the recollections of the narrator?

Offer one specific detail from Emily's infancy shared by the narrator.

In the sentence, "She blew shining bubbles of sound," what literary device is employed when the author combines or blends two or more senses?

Identification: "The clock talked loud." Explain the significance of this detail to the work as a whole.

Offer any one specific detail about the convalescent home at which Emily was placed when she was seven.

Briefly explain the "corroding resentment" between Emily and Susan described by the narrator.

What gift or talent does Emily demonstrate as she matures?

Briefly explain the symbolic value of ironing, an image that appears in the title and recurs throughout the story.

Write down one specific question you have about the story.

Identify two allusions used in the story. Hint: one is a famous person and the other is a famous work of art.