An Indian Father's Plea Analysis

633 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The importance of diversity in the classroom

People are what their culture makes them. It brings people together or separate them, through heritage. As it is our interaction with the world; influenced through our childhood and heritage. Culture is the most influential element in society, it impacts the way a person views their surroundings, affecting their morals, values, and decisions.

Culture becomes our guidelines sometimes blinding us. A person acts the way they do, because they were raised that way. This is especial true in Robert Lake's letter "An Indian father's plea". In the letter he informs his son's teacher how his classmates are treating him due to him being cultural different. The classmates act in this way due to their culture, and the values they have inheritance from their ancestors. These values are racist and judgmental, for example "He ask why one young white girl at school who is his friend tells him, "I like you, Wind-Wolf, because you are a good Indian." This shows that his classmate's culture is infused with judgment of others based on the color of their skin. Similar Pico Iyer's essay "where worlds collide" shows another case where cultural views are clouding one's judgement. "Yes on proposition 187. Mexicans go home" (Iyer 51), shows a negative view of Mexicans, as proposition 187 issued in 1994 stated that no alien make receive …show more content…

People don't leave their comfort zone, as such they don't abandon their traditions and morals that were passed down to them. One stays true to one's culture, this is especial expressed in "everyday use" by Alice Walker. The story is about mother and her two daughters, Maggie and Dee. The idea of heritage is show through the quilts, as the central argument is over the cultural values of the quilts. "I can 'member grandma Dee without the quilts"(Walker 65). This quote shows that Maggie has no need for a physical manifest of her culture unlike Dee; she can remember with the values and lessons she was

Show More
Related

  • Indirect Characterization In Everyday Use By Alice Walker

    1206 Words  | 3 Pages

    Walker communicates through Dee that Maggie “ ‘probably be backward enough to put them [the quilt] to everyday use’ ” (82). This portrays Maggie as a rural character, who owns the minimal and uses all her belongings as an instrument to help in survival. For her, the quilt is a form of cover. Also, that fact that this dialogue is coming from Dee shows that Dee is very inconsiderate of other’s feelings and disrespectful to her sister, and rudely snatches the quilt for the purpose to “ ‘hang them’ ” (82). The reality that Dee wants to hang the quilt shows that Dee would want the quilt for the purpose of decoration. This shows her value of tradition, which she believes should be showcased, rather than lived. It also tells that audience, as stated earlier, that Dee prioritizes fashion and showcasing. Another example of Maggie being a foil is that Maggie is a character that “stand[s] helplessly in the corners, homely, and ashamed” (77). This uncovers the lack of confidence in Maggie, who is still not completely over the trauma of her house burning down. Maggie is a character who is defeated and ashamed of herself, clearly lacking self esteem. Because of this, the audience starts to sympathize for Maggie, who has lost herself somewhere in the fire that burned down their house. This is the exact opposite of Dee herself, who is “determined to stare down any disaster in her efforts” (79). This

    Read More

  • Summary Of An Indian Father's Plea

    588 Words  | 2 Pages

    The kindergarten teacher of a boy named Wind-Wolf, accused the boy of being a slow learner. This angered the boy’s father. Wind-Wolf’s teacher labeled him as a slow learner because he was not accustomed to Western society ways. The father in “An Indian Father’s Plea ” by Robert Lake, effectively utilizes the structure of an argument for his son’s education in his letter to his son’s teacher.

    Read More

  • Valuing and Understanding One’s Heritage Article Summary

    1165 Words  | 3 Pages

    As Dee and Maggie were growing up, mama tried teaching them of the importance of their identities and ancestry. Maggie agrees with her mama on the importance of her heritage. Maggie sees the importance of taking the time to learn how to do the simple things in life such as learning to make a quilt. Dee, on the other hand, has no time for non-sense things.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Culture And Personal Experiences In An Indian Father's Plea

    900 Words  | 2 Pages

    Culture sometimes informs the way one views the others and the world in our everyday lives. Some say your culture shapes you as who you are but others say that it’s the experiences you’ve had. Whenever I hear the question “To what extent does one’s Culture inform the way one views others and the world?” I think of two different things. I think of the differences between people, an example being people who have homes and the homeless. They have different point of views because they are in drastically different situations. So I do agree with it may have to deal with experiences, but then I also think about racism and racial judgement, etc. Thats where the Culture comes into play and then with that information I stand in the middle. Its both,

    Read More

  • Analysis Of An Indian Father's Plea

    1412 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lights, camera, action! The light switches on, and shines brightly in the center of the stage. Two people walk towards it, these are actors that were told to come out at this exact moment by the director. After days of intense rehearsals. The two young actors burst. “We are tired of working for you” the two participants yell towards the director. The director in a surprising manner walks up to the stage, stares down at the performers and laughs. “You are going nowhere; I have your contract and your pay, now back to your positions!” The performers stand and continue their roles with no opinion in the matter. The camera turns off, the shadows of the actors disappear. The common person stands up and is face to face with the director. The director

    Read More

  • Family Values In Everyday Use

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    Traditions are crucial to identities in order to preserve family values. Those values shape who we are. Without heritage and traditions, we are at risk of losing sight of who we are, and eventually those tenets will perish. In “Everyday Use,” by Alice Walker, three women internalize heritage differently; Dee doesn’t value her heritage, Maggie values her family’s heritage, and, in the end of the story, Mama realized the true embodiment and the meaning of heritage.

    Read More

  • Alice Walker's Everyday Use

    1644 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...and Mama are indifferent to her rude remark. Maggie smiles though, in a way that lets the reader know that she has finally found a place in her mother’s heart. She does not feel as though she has lost out to Dee, but rather that Dee is the one missing out, because she has no concept of what really matters in life. Maggie and Mama do not have to go out and try to prove to the world how far they have come and cover up for their past like Dee. A sense of heritage is the best gift that anyone could ever be given. Unfortunately for Dee, she is looking for material objects to fill that space in her that she has more than once denied. The story makes it apparent that their are different ways to interpret one’s heritage. For those people who are more secure with who they are, heritage is something that they can pride themselves on and not be ashamed of because of where they came from. Heritage is a person’s undeniable past that they carry around with them everyday, it cannot be found in a mere tangible object.

    Read More

  • The Meaning of Heritage in Alice Walker's Everyday Use

    988 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout "Everyday Use," there are examples that show Maggie and her mother have knowledge about their family?s heritage. There are also examples that show Maggie and her mother cherish their family?s heritage and Dee does not. Next, there are examples that show Dee is not concerned with her family?s heritage until it becomes stylish. Finally, there are examples that show Dee embracing her African-American heritage instead of her family?s heritage.

    Read More

  • Family Heritage In Everyday Use

    1197 Words  | 3 Pages

    The differences in attitude that Dee and Maggie portray about their heritage are seen early in the story. When the family's house burned down ten or twelve years ago, Maggie was deeply affected by the tragedy of losing her home where she grew up. As her mother describes, "She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire that burned the other house to the ground" (409). Dee, on the other hand, had hated the house. Her mother had wanted to ask her, "Why don't you dance around the ashes?" (409). Dee did not hold any significance in the home where she had grown up. In her confusion about her heritage, it was just a house to her.

    Read More

  • Heritage And Traditions In Everyday Use By Alice Walker

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    Traditions are crucial to identities in order to preserve family values. Those values shape who we are. Without heritage and traditions, we are at risk of losing sight of who we are, and eventually those tenets will parish. In “Everyday Use,” by Alice Walker, three women internalize heritage differently; Dee doesn’t value her heritage, Maggie values her family’s heritage, and, in the end of the story, Mama realized the true embodiment and meaning of heritage.

    Read More

  • Observing People's Behavior at a Fitness Center

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lets start by understanding that cultures are a melting pot of people’s beliefs, language, behaviors, values, material objects, and norms. Norms are written and non-written “expectations of behavior” that govern a certain location, place, or culture (26). These norms also vary from culture to culture meaning what is a norm in the U.S may not be a norm in India. For example, a norm in America would be tipping a waiter after a meal. Another would be acknowledging someone as you walk past him or her, typically done at work or in a public place. In all, norms are folkways, mores, taboos, and written laws that are an established standard of one’s behavior.

    Read More

  • Knowing One's Heritage In Everyday Use By Alice Walker

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dee perceives her heritage as a rich African heritage, which can be noted by the bright flashy clothing she wears when visiting Mama and Maggie. Mama describes Dee's dress as "A dress so loud it hurts my eyes" and states that "There are yellows and oranges enough to throw back the light of the sun (Walker 478)." Dee's clothes have nothing to do with her heritage despite what she thinks. Furthermore, Dee treats the family heirlooms like old relics that should be put up for decoration or put in a museum, and fails to see the use in the objects. For example, Dee states "I can use the churn top as a center piece for the alcove table." Instead of putting the churner to practical use Dee wants to use it for show as if putting an artifact on display. Unlike Dee, Maggie is a lot more in touch with her family's true heritage. Maggie may not be as smart as Dee, but she knows more of the heritage passed down to them. Maggie has accepted her heritage, and has been taught a few things from her heritage. Mama has stated "It was Grandma Dee and Big Dee who taught her how to quilt herself (Walker 481)."

    Read More

  • Everyday Use Heritage Analysis

    539 Words  | 2 Pages

    The short story "Everyday Use", written by Alice Walker, heritage is an obvious theme. The story explores contrasting views of Maggie, Dee, and their mother on what they perceive to be heritage, and the quilts shed light on this matter. The quilts were made of scraps of family members' wardrobes and were supposed to be given to Maggie, the youngest daughter, when she got married. Maggie knew how to sew and appreciated personally and emotionally how much time and effort were put into the quilts. For Maggie and her mother, the quilts represented a tradition of significant things that came out of African American struggles during slavery and the Jim Crow era.

    Read More

  • Everyday Use By Alice Walker Analysis

    742 Words  | 2 Pages

    All though shy and bashful, she has a stronger connection to her mother. Interrupting the fight, Maggie decides Dee can have the quilts, “she can have them…can’t remember Dee without the quilts” (Walker 83.) Although Dee showed no affection towards Maggie throughout the text, Maggie is willing to give up her rights to the quilts to her sister. Maggie shows a love and willingness for her sister and family, even though Dee and her Mama seldom showed affection. Maggie’s similar respect towards the family heirlooms shows how she also values family, like her mother and the text displays her quiet

    Read More

  • Cultural Differences in Communication

    1414 Words  | 3 Pages

    The term “culture” refers to the complex accumulation of knowledge, folklore, language, rules, rituals, habits, lifestyles, attitudes, beliefs, and customs that link and provide a general identity to a group of people. Cultures take a long time to develop. There are many things that establish identity give meaning to life, define what one becomes, and how one should behave.

    Read More

More about An Indian Father's Plea Analysis

Open Document