Background is not the only element of culture that shapes our view of others and the world. Parental influence is another element of culture that shapes our view of others and the world. Parents can sometimes influence how someone views others and the world. In Teresa Acosta’s poem “my mother pieced quilts” the author views her mother’s work of piecing quilts. Teresa Acosta admires her mother’s work of piecing quilts. But it was just that every morning I awoke to these October ripened canvases. This supports the claim because this is a somewhat influence of what the author sees the world. I remember when I was ten or eleven years old there was this lady who made scarves, hats and blankets. This view of the winter attire showed me a way of…
Culture sometimes informs the way one views others and the world. In the texts “My Mother Pieced Quilts” and “Everyday Use”, there are exemplary examples of how culture can positively or negatively affect one’s view of things. In “My Mother Pieced Quilts”, it talks about how Teresa Palomo Acosta is reflecting on her past moments that she had with her mother. They pieced quilts together in the past and each square represented something different. In “Everyday Use”, it talks about how a girl named Dee treats her family heritage. She attempts to change her name from Dee to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. In these two texts, “My Mother Pieced Quilts” provides a positive example of how culture can affect the way we see objects. Meanwhile in “Everyday…
Analyzing, interpreting and presenting historical information involves dealing with great levels of uncertainty. As there exists limited artifacts which have survived the test of time, piecing together an era involves making educated assumptions. In the case of Martha Ballard, her diary provides us with a limited account of her life from 1785 to 1812. In both the movie and the book, the producers and the author have invested great effort into providing an authentic representation of Martha’s time as per her diary entries. This paper will discuss the difficulties faced by Ulrich, Richard P. Rogers and Laurie Kahn Leavitt in representing Martha’s time, the benefit of studying the lives of the marginalized and the ordinary people, difficulties in studying material culture and offer an analysis of quilts to make deduction regarding the women’s lives and their roles at the time.…
In life you’re close to your family and want to make them proud with what you do in your life. Your views and decisions revolve around your family because they are important in your everyday world. In “Everyday Use” the daughter Dee wants the family quilt to hang it and show it like a prize while Maggie,…
Family heritage is very important to many people. Heritage can take the form of photographs, paintings, families sitting around telling stories, and even songs. Quilting is one of many ways the African-American culture used to retain its heritage. African-American quilting is almost as old as the history of America. As slaves, and also their textiles, were traded heavily throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and the Southern United States, the traditions of each distinct region became intermingled. In time, African-American quilting became a tradition in itself. This strong tradition continues today. In Alice Walker’s short story “Everyday Use”, although Maggie and Dee/Wangero differ in point of view regarding the heritage of the quilts and how to honor them; the quilts symbolized something significant…
In the short story, "Everyday Use," Alice Walker teaches us lessons on true inheritance; what it is and who can receive it. Two hand stitched quilts become the center of conflict in the story. They are also used to symbolize the true inheritance. Like a quilt, a person's world view is made up of events, circumstances and influences that shape how they see and respond to the world. "Everyday Use" is a story of two worlds in conflict. Mama, acting as the narrator, guides us through the interaction of the two very different worlds embodied in her daughters.…
Seemingly, in the two stories “Everyday Use” and “Two Ways to Belong to America,” both Maggie and Mira accept and celebrate their heritage. Maggie from “Everyday Use” embraces her heritage when she is taught how to quilt by Grandma Dee, and Big…
Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” is a good example for showing what happens to a family when there is not strong understanding of heritage. The two sisters, Dee and Maggie are opposites when it comes to personality and looks. Dee has a full figure that is outspoken and wants the finer things is life. On the other hand, Maggie is shy and introverted with a thinner frame than Dee. The mother of the two decides to give Maggie her…
I’m an African-American woman, I grew up in the rural South, the characters of Mama, Dee, and Maggie remind me of my mother, my sisters, and I. The three of us look alike, share some DNA, and have spent most of our lives together, but other than that, we have nothing in common. While it would be expected for three closely related women to have much in common, Mama, Dee, and Maggie each have a very different life story, perspective on life, and concept of history. Walker informs mothers and daughters that bonding between family members is important by her endearing tone, the symbol of the quilt and the relationship between mothers and daughters.…
Wright, G. (2000). Critique of Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the…
I’ve always enjoyed buying clothes with my mother and father as they cause for excellent memories. However, as customs and traditions went, I wasn’t getting the clothes that would allow me liberty to express myself as an individual. I don’t blame my parents for being raised in a conservative country where they lived in a tiny village. I find my culture a big portion of my life and in every way incorporate those traditions into my everyday life. The restrictions I was growing up with caused my craving for creativity and…
Have you ever not seen eye to eye with your mother? In Alice Walker’s short story “Everyday Use”, we are shown how many of the choices we make and the things we value create our identity. This story focuses on two characters, mama and her daughter Dee (Wangero), who struggle to see the same way about their heritage. Dee wants the things made by her grandmother, to not admire it as an artifact, but rather to remake it. She wants to take them, and change them to match her lifestyle as it is today. She loves them for the way they look. Mama, on the other hand, views the things from her mother as artifacts. She loves the items more than how they look. She admires the quilts because of their everyday use. Transformations take place between these characters. Dee’s transformation is more external than it is internal. She shows her transformation in the way she speaks, the clothes she wears, and her judgement. Mama’s transformation is more internal. She begins to see Dee’s real thoughts, and she stands up against her. When she takes the quilts away from Dee, she doesn’t only stand up for herself, but Maggie, as…
I got to hear about the story of the quilt, by the way, very interesting. Your mom told me all about it. From what I heard, you went to visit your mom and your sister, and when you got there you saw some old quilts and you wanted them for you. Interestingly, your mom had separated the quilts for your sister, and according to your mom you said, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts! She’d probably be backward enough to put them for everyday use” (448). Wangero, your family values the thing they have in a different way. You learned to appreciate those quilts because you learned about your heritage. Your mom and your sister they did not have the chance to learn about their heritage, neither to learn how to appreciate it. They simply appreciate it. They value their clothing, their objects, their quilts by simply using them. They do not intend to frame their quilts, neither the objects they have at home. They simply use…
The culture of African American quilting is approximately as old as the United States of America. Alice Walker, the author of Everyday Use, contributes quilting to the story, and adds important symbolism and meaning to the story and the plot. In the literary selection, Everyday Use, Alice Walker highlights the story by the use of embellished style and a sense of realism, and the theme of heritage.…
There are many times when a person goes through life with many ups and downs, however when you are going through these changes, you have to have the ability to know how to handle stressful situations. When dealing with humanistic personality, this would allow the people to have the freedom to choose their behavior. Humanistic Holistic Theory is a theory that emphasizes on engaging the person as a whole and focusing on the future rather than the pass (Brill & Levine, 2005, p. 58). This theory let you know that whatever a person has done in their lives, they have room to grow and prove that no matter what their life styles may have been or how they are living, they can always change that; once a drug addict does not means that you will always be a drug addict, you have room for…