Three-Woman Characters In Everyday Use By Alice Walker

Heritage Passed On In Everyday Use by Alice Walker, the reader is introduced to three-woman characters that complete each other but with different personalities. First, the reader is introduced to the mother who is telling the story from her point of view and described as round character. Second, the reader is introduced to Maggie the youngest daughter and described as a flat character. Third, the reader is introduced to Dee the older daughter who is the static character that never changed her believes. Walker in her short story stresses the importance of heritage and how is passed on, but not everyone is able to understand it. Maggie is the one who understands the real

Quilts symbolizes the real connection between family members. For instance, walker says, “She can have them, Mama, “she said, like somebody used to never winning anything, or having anything reserved for her. “I can ‘member Grandma Dee without the quilts” (2381). This shows how caring is Maggie and loving character, she understands her true heritage and knows that she doesn’t need anything to remember anything her Grandma other than real memories not objects or tools unlike Dee. Later, Walker points out, “Take one or two of the others, I said to Dee. But she turned without a word and went out to Hakim-a-barber” (2382). This means that Dee was selfish enough to leave her mother and sister without understanding her true heritage. Dee choose her African American roots and didn’t choose her family tradition and values. Moreover, the story ends with these words, “And then the two of us sat there just enjoying, until it was time to go in the house and go to bed” (2382). This means that Mama was pleased with her life and with Maggie’s actions which shows her strong family bonds unlike Dee who left