A Mother's Awakening

             The short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, is narrated by a black woman in the South. She is faced with the difficult decision of giving away two quilts to one of her two daughters. Dee, her oldest daughter, perceives the quilts as popular fashion and believes they should undoubtedly belong to her. Maggie, her youngest daughter, who still lives at home and understands the importance of her family heritage, has already been promised the quilts. Dee is insistent to own these heirlooms, while Maggie is forbearing in allowing Mama Johnson to make her own decision as to who will receive the quilts. Dee shows a lack of appreciation, disrespect, and a distancing behavior toward her mother and sister, which leads up to an ultimate change in Mama Johnson and her two daughters.
             First of all, Dee seems to be distancing herself, not only from her mother and sister, but also from the meaning of her true family heritage. She goes so far as to change her name from Dee to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo saying, " 'I couldn't bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me'"(110). Mama Johnson feels that Dee changed her name without understanding the reasoning behind it. Dee's name was actually passed down from her great grandmother, giving it true meaning. Dee is much too selfish and blind to see great value standing behind the name she once possessed. This marks the beginning of Mama's awakening.
             Next, Dee displays even greater disrespect for her mother by demanding the two quilts promised to Maggie. Mama Johnson now begins to recognize Dee's different style of life and the lack of appreciation she shows for her family heritage. Mama states, " 'I didn't want to bring up how I had offered Dee a quilt when she went away to college. Then she had told me they were old-fashioned, out of style'" (112). Mama is uneducated, but not so
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