Dee And Maggie In Alice Walker's Everyday Use

Alice Walker’s short story “Everyday use” tells the story of a mother and her two daughters views on important things that shaped them. Each reader can choose which character they identify most with by what each individual daughter values is most important. Dee and Maggie portrayed their contrasting views on appearance, educational paths, and even their perception on embracing their family heritage. How is it possible for two children who come from the same home to have completely different perspectives of what life truly means? In spite of, being sisters Dee and Maggie's appearance did not favor each others at all. Dee is light-skinned african american female with a small waist, and with a nice grade of hair. Dee is the oldest sister to Maggie who she has not seen since she left for college years ago. Dee is also self absorbed and very condescending to her mother and sister. Maggie is the younger sister of Dee, she is small in size, very timid lacks confidence, her body is covered with burn scars from the house fire from over a decade ago. Mom states in

Dee has more advantages than Mama and Maggie both combined. Mama struggled so Dee could go to school in Augusta along with the financial help of the community. She oftentimes uses her interlet to intimidate others around her including her own family members. The short story states, “She used to read to us without pity; forcing words, lies, other folks’ habits, whole lives upon us two, sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice.” Maggie does not know as nearly as much as Dee. Maggie can barely read, but she has accepted the fact of her sheltered life. Maggie and Mama have formed a bond together after all these years at Dee seems to lack on the other hand. Maggie is home learning life skills from Mama while Dee was given the opportunity to further her education at a