I Stand Here Ironing Women and Femininity Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)

Quote #10

"Aren't you ever going to finish the ironing, Mother? Whistler painted his mother in a rocker. I'd have to paint mine standing over an ironing board." (51)

This refers to the 19th-century American artist James Whistler's famous painting of his mother sitting in a rocker. As a daughter, Emily has a special knowledge of what mothering is really like: constant labor.