Jealousy In Alice Walker's Everyday Use

In the book ‘Everyday Use’, jealousy is depicted in several ways. It is a fact that favoring one child among many brings about sibling rivalry. In effect jealousy springs out and can lead to several things. In ‘Everyday Use’, Maggie, a younger sister to Dee, is jealous of her elder sister. Dee is more attractive and more stylish. ‘Maggie looks at her sister with a mixture of envy and awe’(Walker 1006). This is because she suffers from wounds obtained as a result of an inferno earlier in life. The main theme in this story concerns the characters' associations to their ancestral heredity. Dee Johnson does believe that by affirming her African birthright through change of her name, her facade and her mannerism, though her relations have lived
Wangero also has a boyfriend that she does not appreciate. Hakim A Barber is the name of this man in her life. Wangero takes advantage of this man, and ends up ordering him around. In an interview Alice Walker explains “Hakim A Barbers” significance “I am intrigued by the religion of the black Muslims....Everyday Use a story that shows respect for the “militance”and progressive agricultural programs of the muslims, but the same tie shows skeptism about a young man who claims attachment to the Muslims because he admires the rhetoric.” I think that although its not really discussed in Everyday Use Mrs Johnson is also very jealous when it comes to Dee’s relationship with Hakim. Wangero wants to acquire her mother’s legacy of quilts. These were very valuable to the whole family considering that the quilts were all stitched by hand and made of little pieces of family dresses. Maggie is the uglier, scarred, less flamboyant, less confident, more traditional, less educated sister rather than
Dee is most definitely jealous of this decision by her mother. She probably thinks her western education places her in a better position to watch over family treasures (Walker 1012). She must think that her ignorant sister is most probably going to lose the family legacy. Dee is depicted as a self-centred and egotistic young lady. She has an illusion that everything, including the universe revolves around her. This character trait is brought out when Dee refuses to take heed to her mother’s counsel. Dee’s mother made attempt to discourage Dee from changing her name but to no avail.
The theme of ungratefulness is well brought out through this incident. It clearly illustrates Dee’s lack of appreciation to the name she was given as a child. Dee completely disregards her mother’s opinion about changing her birth name to an African name.
Maggie and her mother make elaborate plans to welcome Dee back home. In return, Dee does not show any recognition they made. They made the compound spick and span, but Dee hardly recognized their