'Everyday Use' By Alice Walker

167 Words1 Pages
“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