Everyday Use Analysis
One Culture in Two Ways
A short story written in the early 1970s by author Alice Walker, “Everyday Use” is about the conflict between two sisters. When Dee returns home to visit her mother and sister, a conflict arises involving who will keep the family quilts. The sisters grew up together and share the same mother, but in contrast to other children who were raised similarly, Dee and Maggie are complete opposites. Although Dee and Maggie both are appreciative of their culture and heritage, it is evident that the two differ on how they express them whether it is through their personality, appearance, or their beliefs about their family values. Maggie, the younger sister, lives with her mother in a rural area. She is a timid and reserved girl …show more content…
Although Maggie stays quiet and shy, she is very knowledgeable about her family’s history. This is shown when Dee says, “‘Maggie’s brain is like an elephant’s.’”, after Maggie recalls who whittled the dash. She has the knowledge, but Maggie still is not confident like her sister. Dee, a materialistic person, takes the butter churn so that she could put it to decorative use in her household. When she stumbles upon the quilts, she is determined to keep them in her possession. Mama tells her that those quilts will be given to Maggie, thus Dee begins to argue with her. Dee sees the quilts as an artform that should be appreciated through displaying them. Mama insists on giving them to Maggie, which leads to Dee saying, “She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.” Maggie is practical and would use these quilts. Meanwhile, Dee would hang the quilts up to remember her grandmother. Maggie remembers her family in her heart, while Dee needs items that reminds her of them. In the end, Mama takes the quilts from Dee’s hands to give them to Maggie. Dee, who is furious, storms out of the house. She is mad that her mother does not see the value that she sees in the quilts. Maggie is initially shocked because she was the first priority for once. Maggie is now happy and relieved. In short, Dee and Maggie act differently from each other.
A short story written in the early 1970s by author Alice Walker, “Everyday Use” is about the conflict between two sisters. When Dee returns home to visit her mother and sister, a conflict arises involving who will keep the family quilts. The sisters grew up together and share the same mother, but in contrast to other children who were raised similarly, Dee and Maggie are complete opposites. Although Dee and Maggie both are appreciative of their culture and heritage, it is evident that the two differ on how they express them whether it is through their personality, appearance, or their beliefs about their family values. Maggie, the younger sister, lives with her mother in a rural area. She is a timid and reserved girl …show more content…
Although Maggie stays quiet and shy, she is very knowledgeable about her family’s history. This is shown when Dee says, “‘Maggie’s brain is like an elephant’s.’”, after Maggie recalls who whittled the dash. She has the knowledge, but Maggie still is not confident like her sister. Dee, a materialistic person, takes the butter churn so that she could put it to decorative use in her household. When she stumbles upon the quilts, she is determined to keep them in her possession. Mama tells her that those quilts will be given to Maggie, thus Dee begins to argue with her. Dee sees the quilts as an artform that should be appreciated through displaying them. Mama insists on giving them to Maggie, which leads to Dee saying, “She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.” Maggie is practical and would use these quilts. Meanwhile, Dee would hang the quilts up to remember her grandmother. Maggie remembers her family in her heart, while Dee needs items that reminds her of them. In the end, Mama takes the quilts from Dee’s hands to give them to Maggie. Dee, who is furious, storms out of the house. She is mad that her mother does not see the value that she sees in the quilts. Maggie is initially shocked because she was the first priority for once. Maggie is now happy and relieved. In short, Dee and Maggie act differently from each other.