Dee Family Heirlooms Analysis

Dee’s hatred of the house therefore makes sense, since “Dee wanted nice things” (Walker 266). In an effort to help Dee gain nice things, her mother and the church raised money for Dee to move to Augusta to attend school (Walker 265). In the passage, we learn that Dee, having returned from Augusta, is suddenly interested in family heirlooms, whereas in the past she did not care for them. The things that Dee wanted to leave behind, she now seems to find charming. This essay will analyze the passage and how it shows that Dee now appreciates the family heirlooms, but for artistic/decorative reasons rather than the usefulness of the objects. To achieve this, the essay will focus on the heirlooms’ history, Dee’s desire to use them as art rather than
In the selected passage, we learn that Dee wants the churn top to use it as “a centerpiece for the alcove table” (Walker 268). The use of the term “alcove” here is interesting, as it suggests that Dee now lives in a fancier house than her mother and sister do, despite the fact that this information is not expressed explicitly. Dee’s wanting to take the churn top is arguably selfish, as it seems that the churn is still used by the family, considering that it contains milk that is “clabber by now” (Walker 268). Since the churn contains sour, thickened milk (clabber), it may not have been used for a while, but this suggests it is still used sometimes. In addition to the churn top, Dee wants to take the dasher, stating that, “‘I'll think of something artistic to do with the dasher’” (Walker 268). In this case, Dee is again selfish, wanting to take an object that is actually used by her family to make butter, to instead use it in her new home as part of an art piece. This issue arises again later in the story when Dee wants to take the two old quilts but, rather than using them to stay warm, she wants to hang them on the wall (Walker 269). The contrast between Dee’s desire to use the churn parts for decoration and their actual purpose is evident towards the end of the passage when Dee’s mother reflects on how years of using the dasher have left “a lot
Walker makes this point clear through her repetition of how objects are connected to the family. However, through repetition Walker also emphasizes that Dee is interested in the heirlooms (the churn top, dasher and quilts) as artistic or decorative pieces, rather than in terms of their everyday usefulness. Finally, the passage takes on a greater meaning within the context of the whole story when it is understood that Dee now desires these family heirlooms in order to be fashionable. Her carelessness in this regard, however, is evident from how she wants these heirlooms, but yet she changed her name, which connected her to her family. Overall, considering Dee’s selfishness and focus on fashion rather than family, it is good that Dee’s mother refuses to give Dee the old quilts at the story’s end (Walker