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.

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.

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).

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.

Alice Walker is a writer of many powerful short stories, novels, essays and poetry. She used her work to bring black women’s lives to the main focus, such as the rich and important in the US American Literature. In the short story “Everyday Use” written by Alice walker, she showed the conflicts and struggle throughout the African- American culture. “Everyday Use” addresses the dilemma with African Americans, trying to escape prejudice and poverty. The short story “Everyday Use” focuses on the encounter between a mother and her daughters. The setting of the story takes place in the driveway of the mother’s house. The mother and her youngest daughter Maggie wait for her oldest daughter Dee and her male friend to visit from school. Alice

In the story “Everyday Use” the author Alice Walker describes the family as being dysfunctional. The sisters Maggie and Dee despise each other. Mama feels as if she is not the way her daughters will like and or appreciate her. The mother adores both of her children, they all want the best for each other, but the relationship between Mama, Maggie, and Dee is flawed.

In “everyday Use,” Alice Walker tells a narrative of a mother’s frustrating relationship together with her two daughters. At this facet, “,Everyday Use”, tells that how a mom little by little refuses the cursory values of her older, successful daughter at the aspect of the useful values of her younger, much less lucky daughter. On a deeper outlook, Alice Walker takes on the theme of heritage and its norms as it applies to African-Americans.

Dee?s character in the story is a direct relation to any number of people in society that do not know or are confused about their heritage. She is struggling to create an identity for herself, and is confused as to what it encompasses. She grasps at African tradition and culture, yet fails to acknowledge her own African American culture. This happened all over America, particularly in the North, in the 1960?s, following the civil rights movement. Dee is misconstruing her heritage as material goods, as opposed to her ancestor?s habits and way of life. This may be due in part to her leaving her hometown and becoming an educated, sophisticated young woman. Dee?s direct heritage is that of African Americans.

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.

On February 9,1944 Alice Walker was born, she lived in Eatonton, Georgia during her early years. Alice Walker suffered a tragic accident when she was 8 years old. While playing with her siblings she was shot in her right eye with a BB pellet, which resulted in severe scar tissue. She became insecure and self-conscious, Alice became distant from others and found her comfort in reading and writing poems. Although Walker is known for her most famous work, The Color Purple, she also published a short story called "Everyday Use".

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.

Do you have a simply family? My family is anything but simply, like the family from the short story “Everyday Use” written by Alice Walker. My family has a lot of up’s and downs, starting from my blunt mother to my spoiled little brother. I would say my family is similar and different in many ways to the family in the short story.

To begin with, it is possible to analyze the Black Power Movement and the “Everyday Use” characters representing this movement. “The Black Power Movement” was founded and led by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, and it gave birth to the famous Black Panther Party. The black power movement was created to obtain equality for all the American citizens that were discriminated and labeled as pertaining to the “black race”. Although the movement aimed for the same social changes, the black power movement was in contraposition to the Martin Luther King’s non-violent movement. In “Everyday Use” the characters of Dee and her boyfriend Hakim-a-barber represent a certain segment of the US society of the 60s. They can be thus identified in this movement