Everyday Use By Alice Walker Analysis Essay

Heritage is defined as something that comes or belongs to one by reason of birth. In “Everyday Use”, by Alice Walker, the theme of the story can be considered as the meaning of heritage or even the power of education. Alice Walker uses many symbols and motifs such as the following: quilts, education, knowledge, Asalamalakim, and the renaming of Dee. In the story, African heritage and knowledge takes a major role.

As this story unfolds, the visit from Dee is anything but pleasant. She arrives home and is instantly commanding that she be referred to by her new name, Wangero. This was given to her as a changed black Muslim, something she apparently got involved in after she left her mother 's home for college. The author refers to Dee as Wangero in the rest of the story, making her seem like she has some guise for herself to pull her further from her family roots. She claims that she "couldn 't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me" (76). The name Dee had been in her family for generations, Mama "could have carried it back beyond the Civil War through the branches" (76). This is an important symbol when comparing Dee to Maggie, as Dee is in a sense rejecting her family, and Maggie embraces every memory from it.

The short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker highlights the concept that a much greater appreciation for heritage lies behind materialistic things through diction and irony of Maggie. Maggie and Ma receive a visit from Maggie’s older sister Dee, but find out that Dee has changed drastically in attitude since she left. She comes back to be much more mature and has a new image to present to the family and society. Dee wants to show that her heritage is exotic and beautiful, but Ma and Maggie believe that Dee doesn’t understand or respect the true meaning of their heritage. Walker introduces Maggie through strong use of diction, describing Maggie as a burnt, weak, limping animal.

However, Dee does not realize that. Apparently, she believes that by changing her name she is expressing solidarity with her African ancestors and rejecting the oppression implied by the taking on of American names by black slaves.

After Dee is denied the quilts, she loses control of her attitude, “‘But they’re priceless!’ she was saying now, furiously; for she has a temper. ‘Maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they’d be in rags. Less than that!’ ”

     Pride is the theme that seems to separate this family the most. It's having pride versus not having it. Maggie doesn't have it. She does not speak for herself when Dee wants the quilts. She lets mama speak for her. Like a scalded dog, she hides behind Mama when Dee arrives. Mama compares Maggie to a "Lame animal…run over by a car…"(Walker 88). Pride mostly comes from respect and she doesn't get much. Dee maybe has too much pride. This probably comes from "the world not knowing how to say no to her." She has looks and she's what one would describe as

Dee is selfish and her overly judgmental nature has deeply affected Mama and Maggie. Their need for Dee’s approval becomes apparent in Mama’s daydreams of their televised reunion. When Dee arrives at Mama’s house with her new companion, she informs them she has changed her name to Wangero. As they sit down for dinner, Wangero starts listing items of her heritage that she wants her mother to give her now that she is married; such as the dash and churn top that were whittled by her ancestors. Wangero then begins to rifle through the trunk at the foot of Mama’s bed and finds some old quilts.

At the end of this story, Mama saw how Maggie did not do anything to get the quilts she wanted so badly from her older sister, so Mama said “When I looked at her like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet. Just like when I'm in church and the spirit of God touches me and I get happy and shout. I did something I never done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's hands and dumped them into Maggie's lap” (Walker 6). Mama suddenly realized how selfish and shallow Dee and her motives were towards the quilts when compared to Maggie and her devotion to the family’s heritage. So, she decided that the quilts should be given to Maggie.

     Dee believes she is more cultured than her family. She may have more knowledge about different cultures and religions that she learned in school, but she does not know as much about the family heritage as she thinks she does. For example, when Dee changes her name to “Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo” she destroys important links to her heritage that she will never understand. Her mother tries to explain to her that her name is significant because it belonged to particular beloved ones. However, Dee seems to reject the names of her ancestors, yet she is eager to seize their handmade goods. When Dee realizes she is not going obtain possession of the quilts, she storms out of the house without saying a word. It is apparent that the only reason for her visit is to get the family heirlooms, not to see the house, her mother, or Maggie.

Firstly, Mrs. Johnson’s perspective begins a shift toward Maggie as she sees Dee/Wangero trying to discard her heritage/roots. In the story of “Everyday Use,” when Dee/Wangero arrives from college to visit her relatives from Georgia. Mrs. Johnson greets her daughter by referring to her given name “Dee”. However, Dee quickly dismisses it as she tells her mother that she is not Dee anymore, but she is now wanting to be referred by her African name “Wangero Leewanika Kemajo” (Walker page 746). Dee/Wangero’s explanation of why her name change is that she felt her old name was a cruel burden that she could not bear any longer. This indicates that Dee is trying to deny her heritage. As Dee/ Wangero thinks that her name oppresses her by changing her name she will release from old identity where she can make a new persona where she can embrace “the black national ethos” (Korenman page 2). Dee’s appearance changes as he wears a brightly colored dress to embrace “the black national ethos” (Korenman page 2). Also, Dee wants to take the quilts from Maggie because she thinks she sees the true value of the quilts.

Singer/songwriter Jim Morrison once said “Each generation wants new symbols, new people, new names. They want to divorce themselves from their predecessors”, and in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”, Dee attempts to liberate herself from her past by giving herself a new name. “Everyday Use” is placed in the 1960’s, a time where life was changing for blacks in the north, however, in the rural south, life was very much the same. Leaving a big life up north with an education and twelve years of freedom, Dee decides to visit her birthplace and family, much to her mother’s excitement. However, that excitement is short lived when she tells her mother to not call her by her given name, but by Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. In taking on a new name, Wangero

Her mother mentions how the plan was to give the quilts to Maggie when she gets married, and the tone of the conversation changes. After, Dee goes from a mellow tone of voice that changes to a shocked one. She mentions, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts!”(Walker, 159) Dee wants these quilts to herself as she shows jealousy knowing that her sister may get the quilts. Dee feels she must talk down upon Maggie to make herself feel better about the situation.

In "Everyday Use," Alice Walker stresses the importance of heritage. She employs various ways to reveal many aspects of heritage that are otherwise hard to be noticed.

Through contrasting family members and views in "Everyday Use", Alice Walker illustrates the importance of understanding our present life in relation to the traditions of our own people and culture. Using careful descriptions and attitudes, Walker demonstrates which factors contribute to the values of one's heritage and culture; she illustrates that these are represented not by the possession of objects or mere appearances, but by one's lifestyle and attitude.

Dee on the other hand, represents more of a modern, complex, materialistic way of life. She moves to the city to become educated. She is ashamed of where she comes from. In a letter mama receives, Dee writes “no matter where we ‘choose’ to live, she will manage to come see us” (Walker 281). Furthermore, when she comes home to visit she tells mama that she has changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo because “I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me” (Walker 282).