Tillie Olsen's I Stand Here Ironing and Kay Boyle's Astronomers Wife

There are many different styles of writing a story. A writer can use first, second or third person narration. In addition to this, a writer can write a story that is meant to be read to oneself or out loud. In Tillie Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing" is written in first person while Kay Boyle's "Astronomer's Wife" is written in third person. Both these stories are ironic while "I Stand Here Ironing" is written in …

…story, allowing me to connect with her on a personal level. In Boyle's "Astronomer's Wife", I could also relate to this story for I could relate to the concept of "wanting more". Again, it made the astronomer's wife human and more realistic. It should not be left unsaid that both these pieces also talk about love. Love that one needs to feel, love that is a necessity to live. By: Mika Mokko © 2004