Dee's Reality In 'Everyday Use' By Alice Walker

"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.

By the time Dee visits her mama and sister, she is an urban black woman who is very self-centered and absorbed that represents blacks who move to cultural centers and turned out to be knowledgeable and articulate. Notably, the narrator says, "Dee wanted

For instance, as Dee gets out of the car, the narrator notices that Dee is wearing a long, flowy dress with "yellows and oranges enough to throw back the light of the sun," that’s looks a lot like traditional African attire (20). Dee's dress is boisterous however lovely, she is insolent yet confident, she relish in a glamorize variant of self while double-crossing her heritage. Thus, the narrator feels as so she is going overboard and that the dress is tacky. Moreover, according to the narrator's depiction, Dee, too, seems to be proudly wearing an afro as opposed to straightening her hair to conform to white thoughts of beauty: "[Her hair} stands straight up like the wool on a sheep" (20). Dee thinks African do not straighten their hair, only African Americans do so. By accepting the African name Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo, Dee herself explains, "I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me" (27). As the narrator reminds Dee that she was named after her Aunt Dicie, Dee demands getting further information following the origin of the name. However, somewhere in the family tree, she is presumably considering, there was an oppressed individual named Dee who was named after a white slave owner. On the other hand, in any event, that thrall was denied her African name and given a Caucasian name. Notwithstanding, Dee is not going to give her new identity a chance to get corrupted with that

Dee gets amped up butter churn, "I can use the churn top as a centerpiece for the alcove table" (53). She find it interesting and a commendable masterpiece for her apartment. Dee all of a sudden gets to be focused on two quilts that were assembled by Grandma Dee, Big Dee, and Mama. "Can I have these old quilt," Dee asked (56). She finally realizes the value of the quits. She wants them now since she supposes they represent noteworthiness of her people. Mama told her the quilts was Maggie's and Dee became furious. "You just will not understand. The point is these quilts, the quilts" Dee said with hatred (70). Dee sees the quilts as reminders of a culture that is dead. Dee does not want the factory made quilts because she do not want to exploit them. Again, Dee seems to express an admiration for the butter churn and the quilts, things that have been made and utilized by her African American