Our heritage consists of a set of learned traditions that we possess. As we grow up, they become more important to us. Our values and upbringing depends on these traditions, and they are passed down through generations. When material objects are passed down to us from loved ones, they are symbolic of our culture and heritage. In the short story "Everyday Use", by Alice Walker, the hand-stitched quilts, which are the central symbols, are representative of culture, heritage and a way of life.
             Mama, is the first character we meet in the story. Walker describes her a big boned woman and we get the sense that she is manly. Walker gives us the impression she is a father figure as well as a mother to her daughters. Dee, her eldest daughter, who she sent away to College, is not a big part of her current life. Unlike Dee, she has never had any formal education, but that has not stopped her from trying to teach her daughters their heritage. The hand-stitched quilts are representative of their family heritage passed down from each generation. She believes heritage is passed down through learning and experience. Mama knows the quilts are important to Maggie, because she understands the work involved in making a quilt. Mama keeps the quilts in a trunk to protect their value. The process of quilting is also significant, as each piece is made with care. The two quilts that Dee wants to take from her mother were quilted by Grandma Dee and Big Dee. Mama sees the quilt as well as the churn top and dasher Dee wishes to take, as functional items rather than decorations.
             The characters, Maggie and Dee, are foils of each other, each one having different interests and priorities in their lives. Maggie is homely and she is ashamed of the burn scars she has on her arms and legs. We get the sense that Maggie has always been jealous of her sister, especially when her mother says "Maggie will be eyeing her sister with...