Everyday Use Theme Essay

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Ashlee Carnahan Dr. K. Lewis ENC 1102-3 9 Oct. 2016 “Everyday Use” and the Importance of Quilting Everyday Use has many underlying themes within its plot. The story embodies the struggle between family members and perspectives of what is important, especially after Dee leaves her home and then comes back with several new ideas that go against her original heritage. Depending on what the reader focuses on and what they have experienced in their own life, they may recognize different themes and motifs than others. The main element that Walker focuses on is the quilts and the “art” of quilting (Piedmont-Marton, para. 1). Walker talks about art in a profound way stating that women “could focus their enormous energies on art forms that were not …show more content…

1). Dee believes that they should not be restricted to just the typical farm life and that they should branch out into other perceptions of African Americans. Where before, being an African American was, in a sense, looked down upon, then this heritage took a turn into being somewhat a fashionable movement (Farrell). And in Everyday Use, Dee is the example of that new perspective on African Americans, especially women. As Mama narrates, she begins to fantasize about the reunion between her and her older daughter (Farrell, para. 3). She wants to impress Dee and worries about how she will feel towards the house and Mama (Farrell). However, Maggie seems to be nervous and withholds herself from the encounter as Dee comes back home and “she stops and tries to dig a well in the sand with her toe” (Walker 488). After analyzing this detail, it is evident that Maggie has been put in an uncomfortable situation which suggests she may have harsh or unsure feelings towards Dee, especially now since Dee is returning from getting an education and going into a world outside of her original heritage that she grew up with. Dee’s stronghold on a relatively new idea of family heritage puts her in a different position as compared to Mama and Maggie when it comes to appreciating family

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