Quilts In Everyday Use By Alice Walker

Many people only notice the physical aspects of gifts while overlooking their sentimental value. “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, is a story about the importance of family heritage. The story begins with Mama and Maggie waiting for Dee’s return from the city. Upon Dee’s arrival, her family is surprised by her name change into Wangero and her sudden interest in her family’s sacred quilts that had been passed on for generations. Mama had promised to give the quilts to Maggie on her wedding, but Dee aggressively insists on having them so she can hang them on the wall. This angers Mama as Dee is not appreciating the full value of the quilts so she decides to pass on the quilts to Maggie for her own everyday use. Mama made the right decision in entrusting the sacred quilts to the care of Maggie instead of Dee.

For example, Mama understood how much Maggie values the quilts so she “‘promised to give them quilts to Maggie, for when she marries John Thomas”’(119). The quilts are valued tremendously by Mama and she entrusts Maggie to value them just as much when she promises to give the quilts to Maggie when she marries. Mama entrusts that Maggie will not only value the quilts, but that she will play her role in the family heritage by passing the quilts onto the next generation. In addition, Maggie has also shown a great desire in wanting the quilts as shown when Mama and Dee are in a dispute over who receives the quilts, “I heard something fall in the kitchen, and a minute later the kitchen