"Everyday Use" is a short story written by Alice Walker that was first published in 1973. It tells the story of a mother and her two daughters, Dee and Maggie, who have very different ideas about their African-American heritage and what it means to them.
The story begins with the mother, who is referred to as Mama, waiting for Dee to visit her from college. Dee, who has changed her name to Wangero, has always been the more ambitious and successful of the two daughters, while Maggie has remained at home with Mama. When Dee arrives, she is accompanied by a man named Hakim-a-barber, whom she introduces as her husband.
Dee is excited to show off her new identity and the African-inspired clothing that she has acquired while at college. She is critical of Mama and Maggie's traditional way of life, believing that they are too tied to the past and need to embrace a more modern and "revolutionary" way of thinking.
As Dee begins to discuss her plans to take some of Mama's quilts, which have been passed down through the generations, Mama becomes increasingly upset. She sees the quilts as more than just objects, but as a part of her family's history and cultural identity. Dee, on the other hand, sees the quilts as nothing more than decorative items that she can use to impress her friends and assert her newfound identity.
Mama ultimately decides to give the quilts to Maggie, who understands their true value and will appreciate and use them in the way that they were intended. Dee is disappointed and angry, but Mama stands firm in her decision.
In the end, "Everyday Use" is a poignant story about the importance of cultural heritage and the dangers of appropriating and commodifying the traditions and artifacts of a group or community. It is a reminder that the things we inherit from our ancestors are not just objects, but a part of who we are and where we come from, and that they should be treated with respect and appreciation.
Everyday Use Summary
Dee persists, stating she would hang the quilts for display. Mama decided Maggie would appreciate and respect the quilts and use them and not see them as mere objects. Dee says that she will take the quilts out of their hands so that she can proudly hang and display them at her home. She tells the story through the differences between her two daughters, Maggie who is a shy, awkward girl, and her eldest daughter, Wangero Dee who is a vibrant, educated young woman. Johnson snatches the quilts from Dee and gives them to Maggie thereby depicting the contemporary view of art as the right perception.
Summary, Themes & Analysis of “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker: Symbols & Setting
Does skin complexion still both afford some and exclude others from certain opportunities? Another notable symbol of her heritage is the house that Dee hated, which burnt, almost as a way to signify a release from her family ways. Although they were to be passed onto Maggie, she allows Dee to keep the quilts. His desire to make a good first impression makes him seem awkward. Dee is educated, worldly, and deeply determined, not generally allowing her desires to be thwarted. Giving Dee the quilts would kill what Dee believes is already dead. In the end, Dee gives the quilts back.
Everyday Use: Full Plot Summary
The middle ground, where culture can be appreciated for what happened and continued as a way of life but adapted to fit a changing, modern world. As the house burned, Dee simply watched, standing apart from her mother and sister; she did not try to help them and showed no concern about Maggie's injuries. The fire burned Maggie badly, and Mama blames the incident for Maggie's reclusiveness. Dee has gone to college in a big city and is coming for a visit. After Dee "turned all her faultfinding power on him," he jilted her and married a city girl, an event that threw Dee for a loop. Dee tells her mother that she has changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo to protest being named after the people who have oppressed her.
"Everyday Use " Summary by Alice Walker Essay Example
By rejecting her name, she rejects the life Mama and Maggie still lead. For example, in the second paragraph Mama uses words like nervous, homely, and ashamed, making the reader feel pity for Maggie, who, as Mama adds later, walks like a lame dog sidling up to someone for attention. Rising Action 2 Mama recalls the house fire and describes her daughters. Dee has an opposing opinion to Mama and Maggie. In summary, the author says that cultural artifacts with a special reference to the quilt should be put into everyday use.
Everyday Use: Character List
Alice Walker was born as the youngest of eight children, in Eatonon, Georgia, where her parents worked as sharecroppers. Finally we see that even Mama has a breaking point. When Dee asks if she can take the quilts, Mama tries to persuade her to take others instead: "I don't want those," Dee answers, "They are stitched around the borders by machine. Dee rebukes her immediate genealogy, claiming that all their names come from white slave owners at one point in history. Maggie tries to bolt for the house but Mama stops her. Alice Walker's choice to use first-person point of view allows the reader to connect deeply with Mama.
Analysis of 'Everyday Use' by Alice Walker
It is crucial that in this fantasy, Mama imagines herself as lighter - in skin tone, body weight and wit. People in their society are set in their ways and tend not to read many books. Get Help With Your Essay If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help!. Dee's shift in attitude is more fully revealed during dinner. Basically art in its right form should be kept alive through generations on end in everyday use. If a new era began for Dee with her education, even before her neo-African kinship, with her departure, a new era also begins for Mama and Maggie, one in which their bond is closer than ever and in which Maggie has not lost out to her sister.
