Everyday Use, A Character Analysis of Dee

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Although the story "Everyday Use" is narrated from Mama's point of view, Alice Walker reveals Dee, Mama's eldest daughter, to be the central character. Dee remains essentially unchanged throughout the story. Even though Dee achieves her aim by overcoming complications such as poverty and racial discrimination, she is not admirable for her achievements and courage. Walker describes her to be selfish and self-centered, a woman who remains unchanged from her childhood to the current position after several years. The disregard for her sister's pain, ingratitude for the money raised for her education, and the desire for quilts indicates her static behavior.

The extent of Dee's selfishness is evident by her lifestyle. As a child, she always demanded "nice things" that did not belong to her, like "the suit somebody gave [Mama]" and "black pumps to match" for her own graduation dress (87). By the age of sixteen, Mama wonders that Dee knew what style was and had her own. Now, after returning home as an educated woman, Dee appreciates the quilts that were pieced by her ancestors from memo...

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