A Marxist And Feminist Literary Criticism - 1243 Words

A Marxist and Feminist Literary Criticism Being a single woman with a family to support in the 1930’s was not an easy job. Especially when society had so many chips stacked against them. Tillie Olsen’s â€Å"I stand Here Ironing† is a short story that addresses feminine social disorders and inequalities as well as economic disadvantages that people of lower circumstances have to overcome to survive. In the short story it is basically an autobiography of Tillie Olsen’s life told by the narrator (Emily’s mother). Throughout the story the narrator is reflecting the way she brought up her daughter during a depression and feminist era. She feels very regretful reflecting 19 years late because of the decisions she was forced to make because of the absence of Emily’s father. This story can be seen in a feminist perspective as well as a Marxist perspective; even though they are very different from one another both perspectives help interpret Tillie Olsen’s short story. The Marxist pe rspective helps illuminate Tillie Olsen’s â€Å"I stand Here Ironing† when the narrator explains how the capital system negatively affected Emily and her Family. In a feminist perspective the narrator describes her different encounters with men that abandoned her; causing her to have to take on a male dominated role. Because of the societal characteristic she had to take on it caused her to turn away from her daughter in order to survive. Tillie Olsen the author of â€Å"I stand Here Ironing† was a feminist whoShow MoreRelatedSocialist Feminist Criticism1164 Words   |  5 PagesSocialist Feminist Criticism: You Dropped the Bomb on Me, Baby Feminism and gender studies have been described as having the ability to challenge literary and culture theory to confront the difficult task of assimilating the findings of an expanding sphere of inquiry (Contemporary Literary Criticism 567). 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