틸리 올슨의 ｢여기 서서 다림질하고 있지요｣에서 그려지는 다림질하는 어머니의 초상화와 감정적 모성 = A Portrait of a Mother Ironing and Emotional Motherhood in “I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper re-examines the meaning of motherhood in the 21st century by reading Tillie Olsen’s short story “I Stand Here Ironing” (1956), focusing on the complex emotions of guilt, love, regret, loss, and more. In this story, the mother narrator reflects on her relationship with her daughter while engaged in the repetitive task of ironing, offering a poignant portrayal of maternal introspection. The paper argues for a deeper understanding of motherhood, one that takes into account the emotional dimensions of maternal experience—emotions that go beyond the physical and rational aspects of caregiving. It calls for a reconsideration of what it means to be a mother in today’s world, emphasizing emotional labor, social expectations, and personal identity as integral components of the maternal experience. Indeed, although the biological and physical demands of motherhood have diminished in today’s technological age, the role of motherhood remains significant. Therefore, the paper analyzes the emotional journey of a working-class mother as depicted in “I Stand Here Ironing.” and explores how to better understand relational and personal maternal emotions or emotional motherhood.