Everyday Use Literary Analysis

A Literary Analysis of Everyday Use

Alice Walker 's short story, "Everyday Use," shows the significance of genuinely understanding our own family traditions and culture through our present lives. The story presents two sides in conflict through the characters of Maggie and Dee. Mama, the narrator of the story, and Maggie, the youngest daughter, appreciates heritage as part of themselves and where they originated from. Dee, the oldest daughter, discarded her heritage from the start and never reformed a connection with it. It is ironic that two sisters from the same family are total opposites.

Mama describes herself as "a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands." Similarly, Maggie is not a pretty girl. The last house they lived
in burn down. Maggie he has burn marks around her body to prove it and is ashamed to show them off. Maggie and Mama are both uneducated. However Maggie 's specialty is quilting, which was taught to her by Grandma Dee. The description of Maggie and Mama gives the readers a little sense of poverty. But at the same time, the lessons passed on by their ancestors are what give meaning to their lives. Even though they do not have money, they can feed and cloth themselves. They try to make use of everything in their possession in order to do so. Maggie and Mama are not ashamed of where they came from because their everyday lifestyle is constantly exercising family traditions. Dee, on the other hand, never appreciated her culture. The house that burned down was a symbol is their heritage. Dee was not sad to see it burn. Also Dee does not accept her heritage by disliking the way her mother lives. Dee wants Mama to be "a hundred pounds lighter" and more beautiful. The knowledge and lessons passed on by their past generations are important to Maggie and Mama, but not Dee. She takes the first crack she gets to leave home. She basically sprints off to college in order to distance herself from her family and leave behind the life they are leading. It is ironic that the money used to send her to Augusta to school was raised by her mother 's church, an old family tradition.

At first glance, when Dee returns home for the first time since college, she seems to have gone through a huge transformation.
Dee looks highly feminine in contrast to Mama and Maggie. She begins to take pictures of the house, Mama, Maggie, and cows nearby. Also she starts taking interest in the house, the benches, and everyday items in the house. Ironically, Dee seems to be showing interest in her heritage; the same heritage that she distanced herself from in the beginning. However, Dee has changed her name to "Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo", a possible African name. She could not "bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me." Mama told her that the name "Dee" branches back to many past generations. But Dee brushes it off her shoulder. Mama still sees that Dee is not showing any true understanding of the family and heritage. Maggie was extremely passive when Dee came back home. The major controversy in the story is the discussion about the quilts. It happens when Dee goes into Mama 's room and grabs the quilts. The quilts were passed down through many past generations. The quilts were made up by scraps of Grandma Dee and Grandpa Jarrell 's old clothing. When Dee first saw the quilts, her intention was to take it for herself. Mama tells Dee that the quilts were promised to Maggie. Dee enters a rage and says that Maggie would be dumb enough to put the quilts to everyday use. Also she expresses that Maggie does not understand the value of these quilts. It is
ironic because Dee is the one that does not understand it. She wants all these items for artistic purposes. Mama explains to Dee that she believes Maggie will use the quilts because that is what they are for. When she asks Dee what she will do with them, Dee says she will hang them on the wall. Mama realizes the quilts should never rightfully belong to Dee. Maggie will put the quilts to everyday use, while Dee will use it as a piece of artwork. Also Maggie knows how to quilt because she was taught by her ancestors. Dee does not realize the ancestors that represent the quilts are what matters. Then Maggie begins to suggest that Dee can have the quilts because she can remember Grandma Dee without the quilts. She learned many lessons from her grandma, grandpa, and aunt that prepare her for a new stage in life. Maggie knows all the stories behind the items in the house that are put to everyday use. Mama snatches the quilts from Dee 's hands and gives it to Maggie. Dee furiously tells Maggie and Mama that they don 't understand their heritage. Her last words are directed at Maggie, saying "You ought to try to make something of yourself too. It 's really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you 'd never know." She puts on her sunglasses that hide everything above her nose and chin. It shows that Dee is still trying to hide her true identity.

Alice Walker gives a real meaning to the word heritage through Maggie, Mama and Dee. Heritage is the deeper meaning of the items passed down through generations. Also it comes from the everyday use of the items and skills given from ancestors. Dee embodies everything heritage should not be. She sees heritage as a tangible thing. Heritage should not just be hung and cherished for its beauty. Dee 's idea of culture is simply materialistic and extrinsic because she only wants to show off the items as artwork. Mama and Maggie 's association to the quilts symbolizes the true understanding of culture. Dee never made an effort to really understand her heritage, yet she bashes her mother for not understanding it.

Bibliography

Christian, Barbara. _Everyday Use_. Rutgers University Press, 1994.

Christian, Barbara. ' 'Alice Walker: The Black Woman Artist as Wayward," in _Black Feminist Criticism_, Pergamon Press, 1985.