Everyday Use
How the specific choice of narration and point of view in Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" is used in order to illustrate two divergent philosophies of culture: In "Everyday Use", Alice Walker tells a story of a mother's conflicted relationship with her two daughters: Dee (Wangero) and Maggie. Dee/Wangero represents the "new black", with her natural hairdo and brightly coloured clothing. Maggie remains the traditional: the unchanged, unaffected bystander. On its surface, "Everyday Use" tells how a mother gradually rejects the superficial values of her older, successful daughter in favour of the practical values of her younger, less fortunate daughter. It is the conflict of the two daughters that illustrates two divergent or conflicting philosophies of culture. "Everyday Use" is written in the first person narrative. The narrator is the mother, and the story is told in her point of view. Because the mother is so closely related to the characters in the story, her perception of them is biased. Walker uses this point of view to her advantage, because while the reader is familiar with Wangero's somewhat stereotypical "newborn" personality, this aspect of her personality remains completely foreign to her mother, the narrator,
Dee has names representing the whole East African region. 'But they're priceless!' she exclaims when she discovers that her mother has promised them to Maggie. The quilts have a special meaning to her. Maggie on the other hand is well aware of her heritage. And one teeny faded blue piece, about the size of a penny matchbox, that was from Great Grandpa Ezra's uniform that he wore in the civil war. ' The quilts were actually made by Grandma Dee, Big Dee, and her mother, and included scraps of clothing that belonged to both of her grandparents, as well as her great-grandparents and her great-great grandfather. Dee shows a complete lack of knowledge concerning her family history. After dinner, she frivolously decides to take the churn dasher, even though she has no knowledge of its history. The quilts themselves can be seen as symbols in the story, interpreted in different ways by the narrator, the author, the reader, and Wangero. "Everyday Use" allows the reader to question the definition of art. ' This shows that Maggie's connection to the quilts is personal and emotional, rather than financial and aesthetic. Dee on the other hand wants the quilts for their financial and aesthetic value. In the winter I wear flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day. But she will never bring her friends. When Dee arrives on the scene, she shows how her visit was mainly an exercise in taking.
Common topics in this essay:
Maggie Dee/Wangero,
African American,
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Dee Dee,
Grandma Dee,
East African,
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Aunt Dee,
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african heritage,
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churn dasher,
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understanding heritage,
dee quilts,
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Acceptance Essays
