... Olsen is trying to emphasize in her Mother-Daughter story. In the very beginning of "I Stand Here Ironing," the narrator tells us that she cannot provide the "key" to her daughter's life. "There is all that life that has happened outside of me, beyond me." (Olsen 190) It seems very cryptic for a mother to admit ... , around the same time, Emily became horribly sick with red measles which made her have to stay away from Susan for a while. "She did not get well. She stayed skeleton thin, not wanting to eat, and night after night she had nightmares." (Olsen 192) Emily started feeling neglec...

• Word Count: 1084
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... in was a two-story with a basement located in northern Indiana. An L-shaped stairwell separated the upstairs and downstairs. At the top of the stairs was a brown door that locked with a skeleton key. That was the door to our apartment. I spent a lot of time behind that door for the three days that my parents were out of town. My first night was the ... ...

• Word Count: 1239
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School