It seemed like the story started and ended with the mother ironing a piece of clothing. Almost as if all the descriptions of her children were the thoughts running through her mind while she ironed.
I feel like I can relate to Emily. She was the outcast in the family. All though I am not the first child in my house, I feel like everyone has a place and I'm still trying to find mine. Susan reminds me of my sister... the star child, the one who had it all.
I liked how the mother compared Emily to the dress she was ironing. How she said that Emily was more than just a dress between the board and the iron... that she was alive and had more to live for. I believe the mother had faith in all of her kids... but she had a just little more in Emily.
I was surprised at the type of story this was about considering the last two stories involved a male/female role. This story just goes to show that there are single mothers out there just like this one... living day by day, check by check... out numbered by her children just trying to make the best of what she has.
I feel like I can relate to Emily. She was the outcast in the family. All though I am not the first child in my house, I feel like everyone has a place and I'm still trying to find mine. Susan reminds me of my sister... the star child, the one who had it all.
I liked how the mother compared Emily to the dress she was ironing. How she said that Emily was more than just a dress between the board and the iron... that she was alive and had more to live for. I believe the mother had faith in all of her kids... but she had a just little more in Emily.
I was surprised at the type of story this was about considering the last two stories involved a male/female role. This story just goes to show that there are single mothers out there just like this one... living day by day, check by check... out numbered by her children just trying to make the best of what she has.
Your classmates have also mentioned that this story is different from the two previous ones we read. While there are single mothers who do it all on their own, do you think we should consider the time period when this story is set? Also, I like you point about the mother believing, having "faith in all her kids...but she had just a little more in Emily". Why?
ReplyDeleteI like the third paragraph of your response Samantha "the one dealing with the faith" and I think the answer for Miss B question "why the mother had more faith in Emily?" is,
ReplyDeletethe whole story was focused in Emily and I think the mother had more faith in her because of the terrible childhood she had. the mother was never able to make her happy and she sent her away most of the times. while the other children had a normal childhood with a mother and father 'she had a new daddy now to learn to love' "Olsen, 4". so I think the mom is really feeling bad for the chilhood her daughter had and wants her to be happy now but she cant help. Here, this person is asking her for some information about Emily but she doesnt really know much about her daughter's personal life. Emily doesnt share everything with everyone. there wasnt a person around her her whole childhood. she was around different people every couple monthes. Even friends, she didn't had many or may be any. Because they moved many times as the mother said.
Your response to why the mother had more faith in Emily makes a good case for, and correct me if I misunderstood, Emily, in her mother's eyes, being a strong individual because of the hardships she endured as a child. But can an equally valid argument be made that the mother is more worried about Emily than her other children? Please review parenthetical citations. The author's last name and page number at the end of a quote or paraphrase should not be placed in quotation marks.
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