Point Of View In Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use'
Eng 102
Max Mejia
Due: Wednesday Feb. 12th
Turned in: Wednesday Feb. 12th
Everyday Use by Alice Walker
Alice Walker chose to write “Everyday Use” in first person, from Mrs. Johnson’s point of view to make it easier for us, the readers, to understand the plot or purpose of the story. Alice Walker wants us to know more about Mrs. Johnson’s background, a hard working black single mother of two from back then (1900s). She struggled all her life for her two daughters, Dee and Maggie; both very different from each other.
Mrs. Johnson is brutally honest when describing her two daughters and even herself. She calls herself a “large, big-boned woman with rough man-working hands”. Often comparing herself to a man doing masculine things because of how hard she works on her property, she kills and cleans hogs, wearing flannel pajamas and overalls …all these reflect a strong, capable and independent mother, even though she lacks of certain education.
If the story was to be told from a neutral third person point of view there wouldn’t be much of an impact to the theme of the story, heritage. You have Mrs. Johnson who feels strong about her heritage and Dee who tries to disguise it with the new persona she’s created. Coming from a neutral point of view you wouldn’t get a feel on how strongly Mrs. Johnson feels about her heritage since it’s not coming from …show more content…
Johnson’s heritage (black woman heritage). Dee is a very educated, arrogant, selfish, and a determined person. Her knowledge and education has only been used to put other people down, like she did with her mom, sister and friends. Dee changed her own name to Wangero; she said that she felt oppressed by the people who first name her. Dee didn’t even remember where her name came from, or her uncle’s names who she still showed some kind of respect for when she remembered him carve the butter chum from a tree they used to
Max Mejia
Due: Wednesday Feb. 12th
Turned in: Wednesday Feb. 12th
Everyday Use by Alice Walker
Alice Walker chose to write “Everyday Use” in first person, from Mrs. Johnson’s point of view to make it easier for us, the readers, to understand the plot or purpose of the story. Alice Walker wants us to know more about Mrs. Johnson’s background, a hard working black single mother of two from back then (1900s). She struggled all her life for her two daughters, Dee and Maggie; both very different from each other.
Mrs. Johnson is brutally honest when describing her two daughters and even herself. She calls herself a “large, big-boned woman with rough man-working hands”. Often comparing herself to a man doing masculine things because of how hard she works on her property, she kills and cleans hogs, wearing flannel pajamas and overalls …all these reflect a strong, capable and independent mother, even though she lacks of certain education.
If the story was to be told from a neutral third person point of view there wouldn’t be much of an impact to the theme of the story, heritage. You have Mrs. Johnson who feels strong about her heritage and Dee who tries to disguise it with the new persona she’s created. Coming from a neutral point of view you wouldn’t get a feel on how strongly Mrs. Johnson feels about her heritage since it’s not coming from …show more content…
Johnson’s heritage (black woman heritage). Dee is a very educated, arrogant, selfish, and a determined person. Her knowledge and education has only been used to put other people down, like she did with her mom, sister and friends. Dee changed her own name to Wangero; she said that she felt oppressed by the people who first name her. Dee didn’t even remember where her name came from, or her uncle’s names who she still showed some kind of respect for when she remembered him carve the butter chum from a tree they used to