Everyday Use By Alice Walker Essay

Literary Research Paper of “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker In the short story, “Everyday Use” Walker addresses the conflict with cultural and personal issues within family heritage. Mama, Maggie, and Dee are the main characters within the story. They each have their own point of view and this evokes conflict amongst them. The story centers around the symbol of legacy exemplified through the “quilt”. Walker uses her own personal history and life struggles and intertwines them into the story through the characters thoughts, actions and feelings under a contemplative tone and conversational writing style.
Walker’s life story begins in Eatonton, Georgia, where she was born on February 9, 1944. She was born to her parents Minnie and Willie Walker who were sharecroppers. Alice was the last of eight children born into the family. As a child, she was accidentally blinded with a BB gun while playing with her brother. Instead of being responsible for normal work and chores, her mother allowed her to
Walker’s has written multiple works of literature throughout the years. Her first book entitled “Once” was published in 1968. Walker went on to publish many more short stories, poems and novels. She published a set of short stories entitled In Love and Trouble and a collection of poetry entitled Revolutionary Petunias. The first children’s book she wrote was called Langston Hughes (biography.com). One of her most popular works, was the novel, “The Color Purple” which depicts the life and struggles of the character “Celie”. In 1985 this novel was made into a movie by Steven Spielberg and won an Academy Award . Walker won an American book award, and in 1983 won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for “The Color Purple” (alicewalkersgarden.com). Her most recent work being published being “The Cushion in the Road”