Everyday Use Theme Essay

The theme of a story often is displayed in the development of the protagonist or in the epiphany that the protagonist experiences. But in some stories, there may be more than one focal character, and the theme must therefore be inferred by examining the different experiences of more than one person. Demonstrate the validity of this statement by examining the three main characters in one of the following: Walker, “Everyday Use” In the story “Everyday Use”, there are at least three evident themes throughout. Each of these themes which I have found was all related to heritage. The different characteristics and experiences each character goes through cause the difference in themes. Between the three characters in the story, there are slightly different themes corresponding to each of their own experiences. The mother, and the two daughters, Dee and Maggie, portray a different epiphany causing the theme to be different for each focal character.
The cultures and traditions passed down, as well as the new traditions, to each family such as names and events are also important to connecting to your heritage. Dee does not fully understand this because all she looks for in this story are materialistic ways to connect herself to her heritage. Dee has changed from an outgoing, pretty, smart girl to a shallow girl with little or no purpose. This change in personality causes her to connect to her heritage the wrong way. For example, she takes the churn her uncle has made just to decorate her house and “show” that she is connected to her past families. Even until the end of the story, she does not realize the real importance and leaves. To her, the epiphany is finding her heritage while to the reader, it is losing her