Everyday Use
SYMBOLISM AND CHARACTERIZATION IN “EVERYDAY USE”
Introduction:
A.“Everyday Use” is a poignant narrative that describes the relationship between family members through creative symbolism and fine characterization.
B. Through symbolism and characterization, Walker teaches a moral lesson about heritage, identity, and the role of the two in the lives of the characters and audience.
C. In order to understand the complicated message that Walker is submitting through this story, it is important to look at the characters and their relationships with the symbolic items independently.
I. Mama
A. Mama is the Judge of the story.
B. Apprehensions about Dee’s visit. Mama speaks to the reader about the TV shows that we have “no doubt seen.” Her insecurities about the visit and her relationship with Dee become apparent in this vision.
C. Mama’s strength is demonstrated by her description of herself; she has “man-working hands,” she is large and has the endurance to “work outside all day.”
II. Hakim-a-barber
A. He is important to the story as a symbol of the new life that Dee has chosen.
B. He hints at both his and Dee’s transitional nature.
C. He does not practice the actual life of a Muslim, but preaches his fashionable membership: “I accept some of their doctrines, but farming and raisin cattle is not my style.”
III. Maggie
A. In contrast with Dee’s stylish heritage, Maggie knows that ancestry is a part of everyday life.
B. Maggie’s physical description is also symbolic of her personality.
C. She is the culmination of history in her family. She is the family’s past and present.
IV. Dee
A. Dee has always been scornful of her family’s way of life. Her contentment was so focused on the burning of her house that she became oblivious to the fact that her sister had been burned.
B. The selfish way Dee has behaved her whole life makes her visit home very ironic.
C. Rejection of her name.
V. The
Introduction:
A.“Everyday Use” is a poignant narrative that describes the relationship between family members through creative symbolism and fine characterization.
B. Through symbolism and characterization, Walker teaches a moral lesson about heritage, identity, and the role of the two in the lives of the characters and audience.
C. In order to understand the complicated message that Walker is submitting through this story, it is important to look at the characters and their relationships with the symbolic items independently.
I. Mama
A. Mama is the Judge of the story.
B. Apprehensions about Dee’s visit. Mama speaks to the reader about the TV shows that we have “no doubt seen.” Her insecurities about the visit and her relationship with Dee become apparent in this vision.
C. Mama’s strength is demonstrated by her description of herself; she has “man-working hands,” she is large and has the endurance to “work outside all day.”
II. Hakim-a-barber
A. He is important to the story as a symbol of the new life that Dee has chosen.
B. He hints at both his and Dee’s transitional nature.
C. He does not practice the actual life of a Muslim, but preaches his fashionable membership: “I accept some of their doctrines, but farming and raisin cattle is not my style.”
III. Maggie
A. In contrast with Dee’s stylish heritage, Maggie knows that ancestry is a part of everyday life.
B. Maggie’s physical description is also symbolic of her personality.
C. She is the culmination of history in her family. She is the family’s past and present.
IV. Dee
A. Dee has always been scornful of her family’s way of life. Her contentment was so focused on the burning of her house that she became oblivious to the fact that her sister had been burned.
B. The selfish way Dee has behaved her whole life makes her visit home very ironic.
C. Rejection of her name.
V. The