Point Of View In Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use'

     Maggie is illustrated as Dee’s foil. Dee is everything that Maggie cannot be externally. Maggie is implemented into the story to provide a greater emphasis on

The point of view in the story is the third person because there is a narrator who

(2) The narrator knows does not know very much about what is happening because in the story it states in paragraph one sentence one " It looked like a good thing: but wait till i tell you". When i read this I realized that the narrator could

Momma's point of view defines how she feels about her daughters and the degrees of separation that exist between the two girls. Momma describes Maggie as a partially educated child who does not look as appealing as her older sister. Maggie was burned in a house fire that left her scared all over her body. She does not wear revealing clothes, nor does she attract men as Dee does. Dee, on the other hand, is described as an educated young woman who is ready to take on any and every adventure. Momma says that Dee used to read to her and Maggie without pity (94). She describes Dee as the stylish child; she always prepared dresses out of momma's old suits and is always up on the current style. Momma likes the different qualities Dee possesses, but she is slightly threatened because they are unfamiliar to her. From the description that momma gives of her daughters the reader can feel the differences that exist in her thoughts about her daughters.

Mama, Maggie and Dee are totally different characters and have different opinions in their way of living.

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

     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

The two sisters, Maggie and Deem have different opinions about their heritage. To Maggie, heritage is everything around her that is involved in her everyday life. Whereas, Dee believes that her mother’s family heirlooms are to frame on the wall, or display, as a reminder of her family history. Maggie proves her knowledge of her heritage while the family is having lunch together. When Dee asks her mama if she can have the churn top and a dasher that was made by Uncle Buddy, Maggie corrected her by saying, “Aunt Dee’s first husband whittled the dash. . . . His name was Henry, but they call him Stash” (Walker 283). Maggie shows that she knows her heritage by knowing the family members name along with personal detail. Additionally, when Dee asks “Can I have these old quilts?” she can not name the family member that made them (Walker 284). Maggie is standing by the door and

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

values. Mama was proud of her skills on the farm. She knew her heritage, even if she couldn't read or write, and was proud of it. She could tell you the why and the who. Maggie in her self-defacing way also displayed real attachment to her heritage. Dee on the other hand appeared to be more

She shows that you can value things like the quilts in different ways. Maggie and Dee are very different characters. Each one has characteristics in areas that the other doesn’t. The two sisters did not share a bond throughout any part of their life. In fact they did not even say anything to each other until Dee was leaving. There is a constant communication barrier that is put in front of the two of them. Dee intimidates Maggie with her fierce ways of getting her point across. Maggie being the shyer of the two does not have a whole lot to say in order to defend her. She depends on her mom to fight her battles. Throughout this whole piece, Walker uses contrasting characters to highlight

When Maggie says, “You just don’t understand... Your heritage,” she is showing that Maggie understands what the quilts resemble while Dee does not. Dee and Maggie are different because they were born at different times, their mother favors one over the other, and because they are each their own person and have different perspectives and thoughts on everything that happens to them and the

Dee has always been the different one of her family. Her sister maggie has always been a shadow to Dee. Dee has no burn scars like maggie has.

However, the one thing both sisters have in common are the family quilts. These quilts are described by Mama as being made from family members who have passed, which enhance their value. Maggie values the quilts because she learned to quilt from her grandmother and aunt. She hints that she sees the quilt as a reminder of them when she mentions, “I can’t ‘member Grandma Dee without the quilts” (360). Dee,

Dee, on the other hand, is portrayed in a very different light by Walker. Commencing with her physical appearance; “Dee is lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and a fuller figure” (141). However, their differences do not end there. Dee is intelligent,