Alice Walker's "Everyday Use Essay

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Everyday Use

In Alice Walkers story "Everyday Use" she uses the mother to narrate the story.
Through humorous comments, the mother paints a picture of what she is thinking, and allows the audience to see her as she is, and not as the world and those around her perceive her to be. Specifically the mother describes the characters appearance, and actions, as well as offers analogies, such as mothers on T.V. To support her view of reality, or how things really were, in her opinion. As the story progressed, she reveals cultural differences between Mama, Maggie and Dee. Walker also points out the importance of respecting your immediate heritage such as parents, and other family, and truly knowing and internalizing the real meaning of racial …show more content…
Dee/Wangero had no knowledge of the fact that she was named after her aunt who was called Big Dee after she was born or that Big Dee was named after her grandmother. She never took pride in being named after her Aunt, she just came up with the idea that she was being oppressed and stuck with it. Dee wanted Mama's quilts that she, grandmother and Big Dee made. Inside the Quilts were pieces of Grandpa Jarrell's Paisley shirt, Grandma Dee's dresses worn more than fifty years ago, and a little teeny patch of Great Grandpa Ezra's uniform that he wore in the civil war, (111) Until this day Dee had now idea of the love that was put into making the quilts. These were made to knit her ancestors past and present together and to keep them comforted and warm when needed. The only thing Dee knew about the quilts was that they were old. Actually, when Dee was growing up, Mama asked Dee did she want a quilt to take to college and Dee said, "They were old -fashioned, out of style". (112) Dee/Wangero also asked for Mama's Butter Churn, and Dasher that Uncle Buddy, Aunt Dee's first husband whittled from a tree in their backyard. Mama ran her fingers across the dasher remembering the history behind it. She could still feel the imprints from the fingers that put the dasher to everyday use. Dee as a child never appreciated things that were custom made with love, and now that she is an
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