Alice Walker Story Everyday Use
The lives of the characters in Alice Walker’s story “Everyday Use” have quite big differences. The three main characters are “Mama,” Maggie, and Dee. The events that occurred in each other’s lives developed growing up in a unique setting. Mama never made it out of the second grade so therefore she was less educated. Dee made it to college and was always smarter than Mama and Maggie. Maggie was always self-conscious growing up because of the scars and burns she received from the fire.
Mama was not the traditional mother. Instead of being in the house raising the children, cooking and cleaning, she was a strong built mother. She milked the cows, bragged about how good of a hunter she was, and how fast she can clean the dead animal. “In real life I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands.” (Walker 5) It shows how strong of a woman she is after being hooked by a cow. “I used to love to milk till I was hooked in the side in ’49.” (Walker 13) Her daughter Dee was the complete opposite.
Dee had very high self-confidence, and thought she was better than Maggie and Mama. Her self-confidence gave her the ability to “stare down any disaster.” “She thinks her sister has always her life in the palm of one hand, that “no” is a word the world never learned to say to her.” (Walker 2) Dee has strong hatred for the house from all of the bad memories she had growing up as a child, and how she resented Mama because she was pushed to do everything. Another difference that sets aside Dee from her mother and
Timler 2 family heritage is when she asks Mama for the quilts. Throughout the story Dee only cares about herself so there must be a reason she wants the quilts. It isn’t because she wants to keep her families’ heritage going, it is most likely for some kind of display. Mama offered Dee a quilt before she went off to college, but Dee refused to accept it. In my opinion she only wants one now in order to benefit her in some way.
Maggie is a very shy,
Mama was not the traditional mother. Instead of being in the house raising the children, cooking and cleaning, she was a strong built mother. She milked the cows, bragged about how good of a hunter she was, and how fast she can clean the dead animal. “In real life I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands.” (Walker 5) It shows how strong of a woman she is after being hooked by a cow. “I used to love to milk till I was hooked in the side in ’49.” (Walker 13) Her daughter Dee was the complete opposite.
Dee had very high self-confidence, and thought she was better than Maggie and Mama. Her self-confidence gave her the ability to “stare down any disaster.” “She thinks her sister has always her life in the palm of one hand, that “no” is a word the world never learned to say to her.” (Walker 2) Dee has strong hatred for the house from all of the bad memories she had growing up as a child, and how she resented Mama because she was pushed to do everything. Another difference that sets aside Dee from her mother and
Timler 2 family heritage is when she asks Mama for the quilts. Throughout the story Dee only cares about herself so there must be a reason she wants the quilts. It isn’t because she wants to keep her families’ heritage going, it is most likely for some kind of display. Mama offered Dee a quilt before she went off to college, but Dee refused to accept it. In my opinion she only wants one now in order to benefit her in some way.
Maggie is a very shy,