In the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, the characters of Dee and Maggie are more different than alike. In comparison, the two sisters are from African-American heritance raised by their poor mother in the 60’s. Walker describes the yard as, “the hard clay is swept clean as a floor and the fine sand around the edges lined with tiny, irregular grooves” (147). The two girls love their mother and show it differently than the other. Both girls value their mother’s treasures in different ways and appear to be jealous of each other.
Mama does not visually describe Maggie in the same way she did Dee. Such as “she knows she’s not bright. Like good looks and money, quickness passed her by” is how she is depicted. Maggie is more of a reflection
Two themes that show up in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” are identity and heritage. The story is centered around Mama, Maggie, and Dee (Wangero). After the narrator (Mama), brings the reader into the story, Dee pays a visit home. Dee also brings a guest with her: Hakim-a-barber. Whether they were boyfriend and girlfriend or husband and wife, it does not say.
No matter where they live or the time period, most families share some similarities. Alice Walker’s“Everyday Use” is about a family. The Mama has two daughters, Dee and Maggie. Dee has gone off to college and has learned about her culture and changed her name to Wangero. While Dee is off at college Mama and Maggie have made a new life in their new home after the fire had burned theirs down.
This quote shows how Mama favors Dee more than Maggie by pointing out her physical attributes like Maggie’s “… burn scares [that] [run] down her arms and legs” (Walker 318). Furthermore, Mama believes that Dee will be more successful daughter as she is the one who is pursuing a secondary education, and Maggie is not pursuing an education. Mama continually dismisses Maggie and treats her like an abomination, the daughter that she is ashamed of. Walker also uses irony to convey Momma’s eventual disappointment with Dee’s attitude towards her family. When Dee returns home from college she has completely changed her entire being, she adopted a new name, new mannerisms, and
The most prominent argument between Mama and Dee is over some old quilts that Mama owns. Dee wants the quilts for herself, but Mama plans to give them to Maggie after she gets married. Dee protests, telling her, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts…[s]he’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use’’ (paragraph 6). To Dee, these quilts represent her African
Throughout the story Mama describes both of the girls and how she feels about their differences, even though they are sisters and grew up in the same house. Maggie and Dee are different in their
The sisters have a different outlook on their lives. Dee wants to go to school to better her life than she had growing up. While Maggie knows she will get married to John and have an ordinary life. Maggie also takes pride in wanting to learn about her roots.
In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" written in 1973 the author presents to the reader a story of the sibling rivalry and mother-daughter drama. The setting of the short story is made in the 1960s. It was “a new day” for the blacks and as it becomes fashionable in the Black Power Movement to return to one’s roots. The main character Dee constructed her identity in a completely new way to receive the benefits which could be achieved through it. It is possible to assume that she is mean and superficial, but it is wrong.
"She thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that "no" is a word the world never learned to say to her" (2). As mama reflects on what Maggie thinks of her big sister, Maggie marvels at Dee's tenacious insistence to challenge the world on her terms. In "Everyday Use", by Alice Walker, the audacity of a rural, black girl from Georgia will not accept to be defined by anyone. Ironically, Dee would fight her reality, and step over her own family to become something else.
“Everyday Use” is a short story written by American author Alice Walker, published in 1973. It describes an encounter between members of a rural African-American homestead. Mama, the matriarch of the family and her youngest daughter Maggie find themselves at odds with the eldest daughter Dee, as either party holds different beliefs on how to recognize their culture and where they fit into it. Mama, a tough woman with rough hands and Maggie, a lame, plain girl who never left home reflect their culture as African-Americans in the memories of their family as it was in the States. Dee, who left home to pursue an education is ironically ignorant to the real meaning of her heritage, and seeks superficial things like clothing and an adopted name to
So, even though her isolation protects her, she is still a victim of this type of isolation. She suffers from shyness and lack of education. Maggie’s relationship with Dee is filled with jealousy and admiration. Mama mentions how Maggie always thought Dee had been gifted with an easy life.
In Everyday Use, Maggie is often used to contrast with her sister. Dee is often portrayed as more of a beautiful and smart person while Maggie is depicted as ugly and shy. Maggie looks up to her sister and even tries to win her acceptance by allowing her to have the old quilts. There is also jealousy in this relationship as Maggie feels as if Deed has been gifted in life with her beauty, intelligence, and confidence. However, despite Dee’s more favorable outward appearance she has a harsh personality and cares very little for her family.
While Dee seeks to better herself by embracing her roots, she nevertheless subjugates Mama and Maggie by suggesting that they do not know the value of their own culture - one in which they still
The relationship with her mother, sister, and grandparents was unimportant. Dee decided to connect with her African ancestors while turning down her family. Throughout the narrative Dee is seen as unkind, abrasive, and egotistical. Maggie compared to Dee, has a strong connection with her mother and she also accepted her family history. Even though Maggie was less educated than her Dee, Maggie was way more engaged with her values.
