Everyday Use Character Analysis

Mama, the protagonist in Alice Walker's short story, Everyday Use is a woman with a solid foundation and tough roots. The qualities that society would find admirable within Mama are the same qualities that Dee, Mama's oldest daughter, would spurn, thinking them only the qualities of a down home, uneducated, country bumpkin. Dee, the story's main antagonist, is proof that children are not necessarily products of their environment.

The story 'Everyday Use', written by Alice Walker, is a story of heritage, pride, and learning what kind of person you really are. In the exposition, the story opens with background information about Dee and Maggie's life, which is being told by Mama. The reader learns that Dee was the type of child that had received everything that she wanted, while Maggie was the complete opposite. The crisis, which occurs later in the story, happens when Dee all of a sudden comes home a different person than she was when she left. During the Climax, Mama realizes that she has often neglected her other child, Maggie, by always giving Dee what she wants. Therefore, in the resolution, Mama defends Maggie by telling Dee that she cannot have the

To start, in “Everyday Use” characterization shows up in many different ways and how each character is described. The three main characters that stood out the most are Mama, Dee, and Maggie. Throughout the story Mama is the narrator and tells the story about her life and her children. Mama describes herself as “In real life I am a large big-boned woman with rough man working hands” (744). Also, Mama says “I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man” (744). This shows that Mama isn’t petite woman and demonstrates her ability with strong work ethic such as a man with his strength to get the job done.

An example of how her family values each other is her description of the conventions and norms of her family. They are thoroughly supportive of one another, attending every graduation, baby shower, birthday, and house warming party. Her father and siblings have burial plots together so that they are never separated. Life is lived with everyone being connected and concerned for not only each person’s well-being, but happiness as well. She says her “relatives form an alliance that represents a genuine and enduring love of family…”

In “Everyday Uses” Alice Walker used the idea of Maggie and Dee, who had different experiences in their life. In the story the Mama decides to give one of her daughters the quilts, but the other daughter believes she is more deserving of the quilts. The Mama understood that Maggie would understand the true value of what the quilts mean to their family. Dee does not listen to her mother who tried to tell her the garments used to make the quilt. Dee still left with one of the quilts, but left telling her mother she does not understand her own heritage and needs improvement. Both daughters showed what family means to each of them.

In the following works: “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, and “Where Are You Going, Where have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates both authors display how dynamic characters do/don’t relate to their families, excluding themselves and/or accepting their worth.

Have you ever read those kinds of stories where the sisters are completely different? There’s always one sister who is "better" than the other one, and the other sister feels like she’s been living in her shadow. Usually, by the end of these stories, the sisters come together in the end, and despite everything, the become closer in a way. That’s kind of like this story, except, there’s no sisters coming together in the end. This story is about 2 sisters; Dee and Maggie, and their mother. Dee and Maggie are opposite of each other, and Maggie has always felt like she’s nothing compared to her sister. She always feels empowered, but this

Within the story Everyday Use, Dee and Maggie are sisters that have the same intake but a different outlook on life. inequalities between the sisters cause a division between Dee and her family. Although the sisters care about their family's heritage and each other, Dee decides to go onto a different path to soon accept and celebrate a new heritage and culture while Maggie stays true to their original heritage and morals. Throughout the story Everyday Use Maggie holds her culture and family memories close to her heart.

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.

In the short story called “Everyday Use,” by Alice Walker, the mother daughter conflict theme is portrayed throughout the whole story. The oldest daughter Dee constantly believes that she is better than the rest of the family causing a family feud about who gets the cherished quilt. Dee has always been on a pedestal over her family and she soon finds out that it is no longer the case. Once she finds this out conflict arises. The biggest conflict lies between Mama and Dee. This is clearly illustrated by Dee’s high standards, selfish behavior, and lack of knowledge about her family’s heritage.

In “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, two sisters named Maggie and Dee are described through the eyes of their Mother. Although Maggie and Dee are sisters, they are different in how they treat their mother. Maggie and Dee have a lot of differences. Maggie and Dee can be compared and contrasted in multiple ways. Maggie and Dee have a lot of different feelings for each other, and how is is weird when they come together as a family again.

This paper offers a critical reflection and analysis of my genogram. My family consists of two completely different families thrown together who coexist together without much intermingling. When viewed as one unit, I would describe my family as a loose knit, hardworking, Black middle-class, southern, Christian family. I use the term loose knit because my family is not close at all. We can go months without talking to or seeing each other and there is nothing wrong with that. There have been many times I have been in conversation with family friends and find out information about my family because we do not interact with family members often. The anchor that each of us is close to is our mother, Sandra Smith-Graves.

In the story, “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, there is an underlying conflict between three main characters; Mama, and her two daughters Maggie and Dee. Mama has been one to keep her traditions and her heritage close to her and has attempted to educate the significance of the families heritage to her two daughters. Dee, the oldest daughter, is one of the most diverse ones in the house due to her educational background, which has caused some issues with her family. Maggie is the younger sister who had been burned severely when she was younger in a house fire and now remains at home with her mother.

Maggie the younger sister lived with her mother and liked the life of her living with her mother. Dee didn't like that poor old-fashioned life and she wants to be rich and to forget about this poor family and to live her actual way of life as an African-American. Mama liked their way of life and didn't want to change it and also Maggie liked it and didn't want to change it.

Although the story "Everyday Use" is narrated from Mama's point of view, Alice Walker reveals Dee, Mama's eldest daughter, to be the central character. Dee remains essentially unchanged throughout the story. Even though Dee achieves her aim by overcoming complications such as poverty and racial discrimination, she is not admirable for her achievements and courage. Walker describes her to be selfish and self-centered, a woman who remains unchanged from her childhood to the current position after several years. The disregard for her sister's pain, ingratitude for the money raised for her education, and the desire for quilts indicates her static behavior.