Everyday Use By Alice Walker

“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, is a story of a black family composed of a mother and her two daughters: Maggie and Dee. Walker does an excellent job illustrating her characters. There are all types of characters in this short story from round to static. Dee is a flat character, yet Walker uses Dee’s character to warn people of what might happen if they do not live properly. Walker describes Dee’s character as arrogant and selfish, and through Dee’s character one is allowed to perceive the wicked effect of an egotistical world.

Cultural assimilation undoubtedly plays an extreme role in society as a whole, but more specifically in the African American Community. Alice Walker gives slight insight into  what being forced  to assimilate is like. She says in her short story "Everyday Use": "She will stand hopelessly in corners homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe." Statements such as these are a regular occurrence in her works. Walker often speaks on the ever so disheartening topic of cultural assimilation and the hegemony in societal beauty standards in her many works of literature. In "Everyday Use” Walker addresses longing to regain one 's true culture after centuries of being forced to

Alice Walker’s story “Everyday Use” is a story decipating family and heritage. She released the story with a collection of other short stories called In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women. This collection revealed Walker to be one of the finest of late twentieth century American short-story writers (Phy-Olsen). According to Cowart, the story address itself “to the dilemma of African Americans who are striving to escape prejudice and poverty.” One of the main characters, Dee, made drastic changes and would like her mother and sister to see things her way. Dee’s statement to her mother and sister regarding their disregard of heritage is very ironic considering the fact her name is a part of the family’s history, her new behavior, and her

The short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, the story is about two sisters and a mother. Despite the family being poor, the mother works hard to provide for the both of her daughters. Dee is the eldest daughter and despises where she came from. Dee later on gains an education, attends college, and obtains a degree. In the story she is going through an identity crisis and changes her name to "Wanegro." On the other hand, Maggie is a shy young girl. At such a young age, she is still suffering from a tragic event. Maggie is intimidated by Dee; solely since Dee carries many accomplishments and her appearance. Soon after, Dee remembers the

     In this story, Dee is completely unappreciative. One can get the feeling that the mother in the story had worked long and hard rearing her daughters, and has even gotten Dee into college somehow. Dee returns with her college education and new personality trying to preach to her mother and sister about what they are doing wrong. Plenty of times Dee spoke down to her mother and little sister, Maggie.

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.

In Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use" Mama is the narrator. She speaks of her family of two daughters Maggie and Dee. Through the eyes of two daughters, Dee and Maggie, who have chosen to live their lives in very different manners, the reader can choose which character to identify most with by judging what is really important in one’s life. Throughout the story three themes consistently show. These themes show that the family is separated by shame, knowledge, and pride.

Have you every heard of a book called “Everyday use”.Its made by an excellent artist named Alice Walker.Its a story about 2 sisters,Dee and Maggie.Dee is the oldest and she went to college to learn more about her culture,Maggie is the younger one seen as the dumb and shy one in story,and she is helping to make a new life with their mom after their last house burnt down.My family and the family in everyday use share similarities and differences when it comes to respect,being spoiled,and strength of mothers.

Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” introduces a clash between generations. Now and then, Maggie and Dee.

Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” is a short story about the family relationship between a mother and her spoiled daughter. The mother, who is affectionately called “Mama” throughout the story, lives with her younger daughter, Maggie. The older child is Dee, who has not lived at home since she was sent to Augusta to school. She is preoccupied with advancing her social status and acquiring nice things. “Dee wanted nice things. A yellow Organdy dress to wear to her graduation from high school; black pumps to match a green suit…” (Walker,492). The story revolves around Dee’s visit to see Mama and Maggie, an event which obviously does not happen often. Dee only seems to visit the family in order to claim items that Mama has not yet given to her children. As usual, Mama allows Dee to come inside the home and take whatever she wants. Yet, the relationship between Mama and Dee is a complicated one. Others may say that their relationship is strained because Dee burned their first house down. However, there is no direct proof that Dee is responsible for the fire. Their relationship is contentious and uneasy because Dee is very selfish, she wants to advance her life without considering others, mainly Maggie, and she resents that Mama is satisfied with a simple life.

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.

The mother, describes Dee as light skinned with nice hair and a full figure (486). She recounts Dee?s childhood and her appreciation of nice things. She was not the least upset when the family home burned to the ground while she was just a girl, ?Why don?t you do a dance around the ashes? I?d wanted to ask her. She had hated the house that much.? (486)

People hold on to pieces of jewelry, furniture, and other symbolic collectables that is passed through generations. These things can remind a person of a loved one that is seen as being priceless.

In the short story “Everyday Use”, by Alice Walker, she explores many themes that give valuable lessons. However, the main theme that creates the central conflict in the story is simply how the differing opinions between Momma, and her daughter, Dee, about their knowledge of their African American heritage create tension in the house. Based off their differing views, this leaves the reader to wonder if African Americans really understand their history and culture, or do they simply base their knowledge off of what they see on social media outlets, movies, or other forms of press. One can easily be brainwashed by these things, which is why it is obvious that African Americans aren’t really attuned with their heritage because they conform to others, base knowledge off of social media, and be slightly selfish.

​Alice Walker is one of many gifted living storytellers, and as an African American woman writer, her fiction often deals with themes that relate with issues of womanhood and identity (“What” 49). Walker’s short story “Everyday Use” relates with the theme of identity because the story is set in the 1960s and its characters all respond differently to the “black pride” movement that was growing in popularity during this time frame (“What” 49). Even though "Everyday Use" is not Walker's most notable work, there are many literary critics who have different opinions towards the story. For example, some critics take “Everyday Use” to be a condemnation of the character Dee’s superficiality, while others take the opportunity to only talk about Mama and Maggie. Literary critics Susan Farrell and Helga Hoel both write about "Everyday Use," but with very different perspectives.