Grace Nelson
AP English A
9/3/09
“Cartoon and Essay Comparison”
While comparing the two mothers in Tillie Olsen’s short story “I Stand Here Ironing” and in the cartoon by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman there are a few evident similarities about the way they feel about their son/daughter.
In Olsen’s story the mother feels as if she did everything she could for her daughter Emily while raising her, but it never seemed to be enough. This characterization is also found in Scott and Borgman’scartoon. The mother that the readers see here is stressed out, and feels like she has to do everything for her son. Both mothers feel like they put a lot of effort into being a parent without much in return. The mother from the short story even devoted her whole life to taking care of her daughter “Her father left me before she was a year old. I had to work her first six years…” (paragraph 17)
In the second cartoon by Scott and Borgmanthe mothers become even more similar. The mother in the second cartoon feels as if she can do everything for her son, and sometimes she needs to let him figure things out for himself. She realizes that she isn’t always going to be around to help him, and so does Emily’s mother in “I Stand Here Ironing.” She knows that even without her help that “ She will find her way” (paragraph 14)
In conclusion, the mother in the cartoons by Scott and Borgmanand the mother in “I Stand Here Ironing” are alike in several ways. Such as feeling like they do as much as they can for their son/daughter.