Everyday Use Maggie Character Analysis

Alice Walker juxtaposes Maggie with her sister, Dee, to demonstrate how society denigrates not only African-American women but women in general in the 1970s. Early on in the story, Maggie is described as nervous, hopelessly standing in the corner. Later she is described as nearly hidden from view. On a metaphorical level, Maggie is the symbol of the lack of power women held in the 1970s. She is the epitome of the silent female homemaker. On the other hand, Dee is assertive, “will look you right in the eye.” She serves as a symbol of the free, successful modern woman. However, her assertiveness might come off as cockiness, and too much pride. By contrasting Maggie and Dee, Alice Walker is expressing both sides of the female role during that time.

While Maggie whom was more valued of life’s precious uses, her sister Dee had a totally different mindset. Dee is more engaging and adventurous and she is well educated. Maggie is somewhat of the opposite of Dee, more down to earth, unaware of the outside world and much wiser about the use of what was passed down from relatives. The following will shed light on Dee’s Attitude, Mama’s love, and their ancestor’s

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

While the two sisters perspectives on heritage contrast each other, Walker employs a case of dramatic irony to prove that Dee's perspective is wrong, which automatically proves that Maggie is right, considering their opposite characteristics. Dee

     Maggie is shamed from her scares of being burnt by their previous house. As her mother describes, "She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire that burned the other house to

In the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, the two main characters, Maggie and Dee, are sisters who are very opposite to each other. Throughout the story, the girl’s differences become evident through their physical appearances, personalities, lifestyle decisions, and the way they feel about their heritage.

The way the burning house, her stuck-up sister, and society influenced Maggie make her unique in relation to others. Maggie was so damaged from her home burning down that she turned into a meek and undervalued young lady. Maggie is so unsure that her mother says she walks like a dog run over by a car: “chin on chest eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire that burned the other house on the ground.” This demonstrates that Maggie absence of self-confidence make her frightened to look. She imagines that on the off chance that she can’t see the individuals around her, then they can’t see her. What’s more, Maggie’s discernible scars have impacted on the way she conducts herself. As indicated by Mama, when she was pulling Maggie out of the fire, her arms were adhering, “her hair was smoking, and her dress was tumbling off her in minimal dark papery pieces.” This is huge light of the fact that indicates how much the flame really physically scarred her. This additionally clarifies why she is so apprehensive about individuals seeing her. Maggie’s apparent compressed version of confirmation in herself is created basically by the fire. The barbaric way Maggie’s sister, Dee, presents herself awful impact on Maggie’s certainly. At this point when Dee inquired as to whether she can have some unique quilts and Mama says no on the grounds that she

Maggie is the younger sister of the two. Parallel to Mama, Maggie also suffer from insecurities. Dee is lighter than Maggie with nicer hair and a fuller figure. Maggie was burned in the house fire and she shuffles when she walks. She is described as being shy, unable to make eye contact, and does not like to be seen when other people are around. The story tells how “she stand hopelessly in the corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arm and legs, eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe” (p.315). Maggie’s thought of her sister is that she has always held life in the palm of one hand, that’s “no” is a word the world never learned to

The two sister both have a strong love for their mother. The story gives no name of their mother, but to create a picture the book states, “In real life I am a large, big-boned women with rough, man-working hands” (78). Dee and Maggie are now grown up, but they have not forgot about their mother. Maggie continues to stay at home with her mother throughout the story, until she marries her soon to be husband John Thomas. John Thomas the soon to be husband has mossy teeth in an earnest face. “My own words” (79) Maggie stayed home and help her mother do things around the house. On the other hand, Dee went off to college, but as soon as she completed her education she came home to visit her mother and sister. Their mother was someone that work hard,

The majority of the short story is focused on Dee and how she neglects her family and shows little compassion or thought to Maggie and Mama’s household and their possessions. Walker emphasizes Dee’s lack of family value when she attempts to take the quilts originally planned for Maggie with Dee saying “’Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts!’ she said. ‘She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use!”’ (320). Dee puts her self-worth above her family and has misguided thoughts about her upbringing.

I think it’s a typical story of family’s everywhere in America. Conflict is something that happens in all family’s and sometimes things get resolved and others go unresolved forever among siblings. Dee has gone away to school and is returning home and her sister Maggie can’t wait until she leaves. Maggie dreams of being on a TV show because she sees the conflict of other family’s on TV and they work things out during the show and everyone ends the show with the relief the conflict has ended. The reader is given descripted glances at the two sister’s appearances. Maggie is a large woman with scars on her body. Her hands are rough like a man’s hands and she can do anything a man can do from killing and cleaning a hog. She wears flannel nightgowns to bed and her fat keeps her warm even in zero temperature. Maggie’s self-esteem is very lacking because she walks with her head down and shuffles her

Often siblings are brought up in the same environment and turn out completely different. This is the case in Alice Walkers, “Everyday Use”. Although two sisters, Maggie and Dee, are raised by the same woman and in the same home, their similarities end here. Both are different in their appearance, personalities, and ideas about family heritage. Each having opposing views on value and worth of the various items in their lives. Walker uses this conflict to make the point that the use of an object and of people, is more important than style.

Maggie unlike her sister Dee never went to school beyond school grade. Maggie was self conscious because she had scars from a house fire. She was always jealous of her sister Dee’s easier life. She was angry when Dee asked for the quilts, because her mother had already promised to give the quilts. Maggie knew how making another quilt in case the quilt was destroyed. Afterwards, she tried to make peace so that her sister would have the quilts, but the mother snatched it out of Dees hands and gave the quilts Maggie, because she knew Maggie was more deserving and understood the value of the quilts to her mother.

Since then, she has become cautious and self-contemptuous. Looks like she’s hardly being noticed by the world, even her Mama says “showing just enough of her thin body enveloped in pink skirt and red blouse for me to know she’s there, almost hidden by the door”. (Page 337) Compare to Maggie, her sister Dee can easily have things she may never have in her life, like her appearance, Dee’s husband “Hakim-a-barber”, a nice dress. (Page 338, Page 340) Maggie only wants the quilt Mama has promised. Before Dee leaves, Mama “did something she had never done before” – snatch the quilt from Dee and throw it to Maggie. (Page 343) Maggie makes a “real smile” when Dee leaves. (Page

In the short story, “Everyday Use,” Alice Walker uses her contrasting characters of Maggie and Dee to show a cultural split. Dee, the eldest daughter, comes home to visit her family who lives a very traditional way of life. Dee has gone to college and lives a more modernist lifestyle, whereas her sister Maggie has not gone to school and lives a more traditionalist lifestyle. This difference between the sisters shows the division in the 1960’s between a traditionalist and modernist lifestyle through her characters Maggie and Dee.