The Importance Of Identity In Alice Walker's Everyday Use

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. It is the Mrs. Johnson, her mother, whose egoism and narrow mind does not allow her to see that her daughter's actions do not arise not from Dee’s desire to separate herself from her origins, but from the desire to succeed in life.

Dee’s education has been extremely important in forging her character, but at the same time it has split her off from her family. Mr. Johnson admits that Dee @has made it@, she separated herself from her family history with slavery and poverty. In other words, she has moved towards other traditions that go against the traditions and heritage of her own family: she is on a quest to link herself to her African roots and has changed her name to Wangero In doing so, in attempting to recover her “ancient” roots, she has at the same time denied, or at least refused to accept her family heritage which consists of lack of education(her mother and sister barely can read), hard agricultural work and low life conditions. But her own mother doesn't accept it and judges her actions as superficial and worthless. She does not understand that Dee wants to succeed in life, she hates her family's old house, she wants another life quality and the only possible way to achieve it was to belong to Black Power Movement and therefore she represents her new African identity with special clothes and jewelry.In The scene where Dee takes photos of the old house, she