The short story "Everyday Use", by Alice Walker, was about an African American mother and two daughters. They were from the south and had a simple life while growing up. I think that in this story, Dee has realized what is out there for her in the world. She has moved on with her life. The mother and Maggie on the other hand, enjoy their simple life and appreciate the importance and family.
             When Dee comes home to visit she is all dressed up and has changed her name. This hurts her mother because Dee was a family name. I think that since Dee feels she has moved up in the world she is looking at where she was raised and how her mother and sister still live as a sob story to tell the people of where she lives now. This is demonstrated several times throughout the story. When Dee gets out of the car and takes polaroids of the house. Also, when she begins asking for different family heirlooms such as the quilts. She makes it very clear that she wants them for show. She likes them for their historical value, since there is patches on these quilts from the civil war and even years before that, while Maggie and the mother have them because of the family value they have. Dee wants these quilts for show. She as become a materialistic person. Though the mother and Maggie love Dee, I think they also love when she is gone. Mother and Maggie prefer their simple life. They know there is more out there but enjoy what they have. It is very obvious Dee feels that mother and Maggie are foolish for living the way they do. When she is leaving she tells Maggie, "You ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie. It's really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you'd never know it." This shows how Dee looks down on what they are doing with their lives.
             I think this story is a lesson on family. No matter where you are in life, you should never use your family as show or ...