This document provides writing prompts for the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker. It asks the reader to summarize how the narrator describes Dee's personality and how she has always gotten her way. It also prompts the reader to explain how a house fire affected Maggie's character and shaped her personality. Finally, it asks the reader to analyze the differences between Maggie and Dee's characters, citing three examples from the story.

1. Everyday Use by Alice Walker
Written Response Questions
Short Response
• What does narrator mean when she says that Maggie
thinks Dee “has held life always in the palm of one
hand, that ‘no’ is a word the world never learned to
say to her”?
• In what way does the house fire affect Maggie?
Describe how this event explains her character.
Extended Response
• Describe the differences in Maggie’s and Dee’s characters.
Use three examples from the story to explain your answer.