I Stand Here Ironing

"I Stand Here Ironing" is a story about the daughter of the narrator; her life as she grew.

What is the daughter's name?
Why did the mother emphasize how much she nursed Emily?
What is the effect of a father leaving have on a child?

Though I am not a mother, and don't plan to be for quite a while, I felt a connection with the mom. Simply because the story is so well-written; but it really allows you to understand the love that the mother has for her child. However it struck me as odd how she compared Emily to the other children- and she didn't even list many of the other childrens' names. It was as though Emily was the only one that truly mattered to her, and she felt in some ways as though she had failed Emily because of how melancholy she always was. The comedy is the fascinating aspect, to the mother. "How did she get that comedy?" is kind of the repeated theme and question for the piece. Her mother is convinced that it was obviously not from her own childhood. However I believe that in some ways, one can receive comedy from less than pleasant experiences. Like a coping mechanism, in a way... comedy could be a way for her to escape from it. Though at the same time, her childhood didn't sound too terribly painful... her mother was loving. So her comedy could have come from this.