Non-Traditional Techniques in I Stand Here Ironing In “I Stand Here Ironing,” Tillie Olsen uses a very non-traditional plot to make a lasting impression with her readers. His technique reaches you and captures you while you read. He does this by speaking in first person, second and third person and using flashbacks in non-chronological order. These techniques draw you into the plot and make you pay more attention to what is happening. One specific way Olsen achieves this is by speaking in the first person and third person. The story begins by saying: «I am ironing it, and the one you asked for moves tormentedly back and forth with the iron» (169). Here, it is thought, the whole story would be about her. But as the story progresses, the reader is faced with several flashbacks in which he tells many things and speaks in the third person. He says, “She was a beautiful little girl” (169). He continues to tell about this girl as the story continues: “She would call me” (171). Tillie Olsen also addresses someone in the story in the second person. She...