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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 4 page essay that argues that 2 short stories, "I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen and "Teenage Wasteland" by Anne Tyler, address the same theme, which focuses on the reactions of parents to having a troubled teen. In each story, the author not only describes the teen's problems, but also stresses how society and authority figures will offer definitive instruction on how to handle raising children, but then just as definitively blame the parents if these dictums fail to produce a perfect adolescent. Society wants to allocate blame, but, as these two stories demonstrate, sometimes there are forces that are outside of parental control. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khtoat.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
focuses on the reactions of parents to having a troubled teen. In each story, the author not only describes the teens problems, but also stresses how society and authority figures
will offer definitive instruction on how to handle raising children, but then just as definitively blame the parents if these dictums fail to produce a perfect adolescent. Society wants to
allocate blame, but, as these two stories demonstrate, sometimes there are forces that are outside of parental control. In Olsens story for example, a mother stands ironing her daughter
Emilys dress, pondering over the remarks of unnamed authority figure who has indicated that Emily needs help. Her anguish is evident from the first line, which reads" "I stand here
ironing, and what you asked moves tormented back and forth with the iron" (Olsen 265). The mother adds "You think because I am her mother I have a key" (Olsen
265). This refers to the societal stance that parents are suppose to somehow be able to unravel and understand the mysteries of another human mind. The mothers mind wanders
back over her daughters life, recalling her babyhood and how hard she tried to be a "good" mother and do everything the experts recommended. Although her babys cries "battered" the
mother into "trembling" and her breasts, as she nursed Emily, were swollen with milk, she steadfastly stuck to the feeding schedule mandated by the so-called experts (Olsen 266). As the
mother remembers, she recognizes all the mistakes that were made and all the obstacles and problems that affected Emilys childhood. It was the Depression and the mother was a
single parent. She did not want to leave her baby with a neighbor so she could work. She did not want to send Emily away to live with relatives when
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