Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use' explores the complexities of heritage and identity through the dynamics of a mother and her two daughters, Dee and Maggie. Dee embodies a materialistic and bourgeois interpretation of culture, while the mother and Maggie represent a deeper, practical connection to their heritage. The story emphasizes that true appreciation of one’s culture lies not in the possession of artifacts but in understanding and living the values and traditions passed down through generations.

1. “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker Essay
In its simplest form, a child is a product of a man and a woman but Alice Walker one of the foremost
authors during the twentieth century, adds depth to her black American women by focusing on the
role that race and gender played in their development. Family reunions can be times of great
anticipation, excitement and happiness but for Dee, a young, beautiful, African American and our
leading character, it was a reunion with underlying, unspoken tensions. Dee was Dee but Dee had
changed; a new husband, nice clothes, and a college degree to boat. Maybe that college degree
certificate could be farmed and hung on the wall replacing that old photo of George Washington
Carver, out with the old and in with the new. Alice Walker is showing
...show more content...
He is not willing to "commit to the hard work of the cause and faith he claims to embrace"
(SparkNotes). Walker's story is an evaluation of individuals who get the wrong idea about some of
the ideals that black consciousness groups promoted during 1950s. A bit of realism is given in the
story by some particular languages, specialized diction, and Mama's exclusive expressions. Walker
gives Mama the right to narrate and control to convey the story and thoughts in their own way. For
example, some particular language used by Dee's mother like butter churning and cheese making
adds realism to the story. This makes the audience think that they are a poor farm family. The mother
makes the languages her own (SparkNotes). For instance, "she refers to her husband carving
benches when the family could not "effort" instead of "afford" to buy chairs, and she describes the
milk in the churn as "crabber". Walker raises comedy as a way of improving the story's
observations, such as in the weak comedy irritated by Mama's reaction to Dee's, and Hakim's
difficult to pronounce names. Mama eventually gives up on Hakim–a–barber's name and secretly
addresses him as what she thinks he sounds like: a barber. The history of these quilts is a history
of the family. The quilts was most valuable to Mama and Maggie, they do not want to see the quilts
as stuff to be hung on the wall and respected as folk art, but as the useful household items. Walker is
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2. Alice Walker's Everyday Use Essay
Alice Walker's "Everyday Use"
In the story "Everyday Use" the narrator is telling a story about her life and two daughters, who are
named Dee and Maggie. The narrator is very strong willed, honest, compassionate and very
concerned with the lives of her two daughters. Her daughter Dee is not content with her lifestyle and
makes it hard on Maggie and the narrator. The narrator is trying to provide for her family the best
way she can. The narrator is alone in raising the two daughters and later sends her daughter Dee to
college. The longer the story goes on the more the narrator shows how intelligent and how much she
loves her two daughters.
Mama who is the narrator is a woman who can do any chore that a man can, because of...show more
content...
Mama is also very observant because when her daughter Dee comes and visits, Dee tells Mama
that she changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. This makes Mama feel that her
daughter is running from her heritage. So when Dee asks for some quilts that have been in the
family for years, Mama tells her, "No, they are for Maggie". This says to me that Mama is very
quick to draw as far as the actions of her daughter. She notices that Dee changed her name and
abandoned her heritage. Mama tells Dee that her name came from her grandmamma. Mama is very
understanding also, because she isn't mad at Dee for changing her name, and just tells her that she
can't have the quilts.
Mama was a very interesting to me in this story, because she is so manly in the story. "I can kill
and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man", she says in the story. Mama is also aware that she is not
the brightest woman, because she says that she didn't go any further then the second grade. I love
how honest she is with herself. Like when she talks about never being able to hold a tune. Most
people would lie to their self and make it sound like they could sing if they wanted to. Mama is
also a dreamer, at times because she refers to things the way that they were. Like when she refers to
her education and the house that they use to have. They had a house before but there was a fire.
Mama also has some humor to her, "Why don't
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3. Essay about Everyday Use by Alice Walker
Everyday Use by Alice Walker
"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, is a story of a black family composed of a mother and her two
daughters: Maggie and Dee. Walker does an excellent job illustrating her characters. There are all
types of characters in this short story from round to static. Dee is a flat character, yet Walker uses
Dee's character to warn people of what might happen if they do not live properly. Walker describes
Dee's character as arrogant and selfish, and through Dee's character one is allowed to perceive the
wicked effect of an egotistical world.
Dee is portrayed as a light–skinned black person who feels as though she is better than everyone
else because her waist is small, her skin is light, she has a nice grade of...show more content...
Dee does not truly value the heritage, and her interest in the quilts seem to reflect a cultural trend.
This cultural trend becomes evident when the mother says, "I had offered Dee a quilt when she went
away to college. Then she had told me they were old–fashioned, out of style"(Walker 96). We
learned early in the story that Dee acquired a style at a young age, and she allowed the world around
her to alter and manipulate that style.
Dee believes she is more cultured than her family. She may have more knowledge about different
cultures and religions that she learned in school, but she does not know as much about the family
heritage as she thinks she does. For example, when Dee changes her name to "Wangero
Leewanika Kemanjo" she destroys important links to her heritage that she will never understand.
Her mother tries to explain to her that her name is significant because it belonged to particular
beloved ones. However, Dee seems to reject the names of her ancestors, yet she is eager to seize
their handmade goods. When Dee realizes she is not going obtain possession of the quilts, she
storms out of the house without saying a word. It is apparent that the only reason for her visit is to
get the family heirlooms, not to see the house, her mother, or Maggie.
Maggie is illustrated as Dee's foil. Dee is everything that Maggie cannot be externally. Maggie is
implemented into the story to provide a greater emphasis on
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4. Essay about Everyday Use by Alice Walker
Everyday Use by Alice Walker
Through contrasting family members and views in "Everyday Use", Alice Walker illustrates the
importance of understanding our present life in relation to the traditions of our own people and
culture. Using careful descriptions and attitudes, Walker demonstrates which factors contribute to the
values of one's heritage and culture; she illustrates that these are represented not by the possession of
objects or mere appearances, but by one's lifestyle and attitude.
Throughout the story, Walker personifies the different sides of culture and heritage in the characters
of Dee and the mother (the narrator). Dee can be seen to represent a materialistic, complex, and
modern way of life where culture and heritage...show more content...
One winter I knocked a bull calf straight in the brain between the eyes with a sledgehammer and had
the meat hung up to chill by nightfall.? (485). While these feats are not extraordinary, Walker
exemplifies what Mother has learned from her ancestors, and that being resilient and tough is a part
of her heritage. Mother is very proud of her abilities and accomplishments.
The mother, describes Dee as light skinned with nice hair and a full figure (486). She recounts
Dee?s childhood and her appreciation of nice things. She was not the least upset when the family
home burned to the ground while she was just a girl, ?Why don?t you do a dance around the ashes?
I?d wanted to ask her. She had hated the house that much.? (486)
Dee?s character in the story is a direct relation to any number of people in society that do not know
or are confused about their heritage. She is struggling to create an identity for herself, and is
confused as to what it encompasses. She grasps at African tradition and culture, yet fails to
acknowledge her own African American culture. This happened all over America, particularly in the
North, in the 1960?s, following the civil rights movement. Dee is misconstruing her heritage as
material goods, as opposed to her ancestor?s habits and way of life. This may be due in part to her
leaving her hometown and becoming an educated, sophisticated young woman. Dee?s direct heritage
is that of African Americans.
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