Theme Of Alienation In 'Everyday Use'

The characters in “Everyday Use” experience alienation not only to their race but also to society, their culture, and heritage. For instance, Mama feels that she does not meet Dee’s expectations by stating “my daughter would want me to be: a hundred pounds lighter, my skin like uncooked barley pancake. My hair glistens in the hot bright lights” (Walker 315). This symbolizes double-consciousness as the sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others. In this case, it also illustrates how society denies darker skin colors and the denial of accepting individuals weight. Another example of double consciousness is when Maggie physically and socially lives in her sister’s shadow, scrutinizing herself in relations to her sister, “Maggie