Connection To The Quilts In Everyday Use By Alice Walker

The short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker follows a myriad of women all of whom are connected by their ties of kindred, however differ by their identity and connection to the infamous quilts. The quilts,as clarified in “Everyday Use”, contains patches of clothing worn by generations of their family. The story grazes over Mama, Dee and Maggie’s special connection to the quilts. In “Everyday Use”, Alice Walker illuminates how the quilts are inherently symbolic of their heritage. In Alice Walker’s short story “Everyday Use”, each woman’s particular connection to the quilts suggests that females are instrumental in preserving and handing down a family’s history.
Mama knows the story behind each piece of cloth used to make

the quilts and she wants that history preserved and handed down. To begin, Mama’s attachment to the quilts branches from her relationship with her two daughters, Dee and Maggie. While the quilts represent her familial ties, through introspective discovery, she finds that she has been neglectful of her daughter, Maggie. In order to offset the imbalance by one day gifting her the quilts to Maggie as a wedding gift. She understands the history and significance behind them, and envisioned her daughter Maggie holding something of such importance. Her daughter Dee, on the other hand has always been treated well, she received an education, has always been likened as the dynamic sister. She hopes for more for her daughter Maggie who is submissive as a result of her past. And for Dee,Mama wants her to realize the sacrifices she has made for her to be in the place she is now, for example, Mama reveals “I never had an education myself. After second grade the school was closed down.”(Walker While Dee was able to obtain an education, Mama never got to have one. Mama can be shown as a woman who wants to preserve her family’s history by sharing her wisdom and quilts with her daughters.
In addition to Mama, Dee, her over-achieving daughter, also has a special connection over their familial quilts.

Dee’s initial attachment to the quilts stem from her pride in her attempt to embrace her African heritage. She goes so far as to changing her name to Wangero to celebrate her African roots and when questioned about her given name, she claims "I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me” (Walker ) She changes her name due to the fact that she believes its background is muddied by fact that it may be traced back to white oppressors. Although she was initially named after her Aunt Dicie. She embodies many African-Americans of the particular decade the story was set all of whom take great pride in their race in spite of the social injustices they endured. Dee wants to take the blankets along with the other trinkets she picked up from Mama’s home due to their sentimental value stemming back from the Civil War. Dee is educated and enlightened by her social surroundings unless it pertains to her sister or mother. She hopes to adorn the quilts and appreciate them in a way her sister Maggie never could. Dee represents a keen example of women who preserve their history in her hopes to take the butterchurn and the quilts all of historical value within her family and place them in her

home.
Finally, Maggie’s connection from the quilt is heightened by the promise made by her mother. It is safe to assume that Maggie romanticized the idea of having something of such great importance to her family to herself. Mama as previously stated intended on giving Maggie the quilts for her, however problems arise when Dee wants them. The distinction between the sister’s is clear when Dee claims that Maggie would “probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use." (Walker *Insert Page Number) This particular quote displays how Maggie has been treated unfair due to her submissive demeanor. While Dee would prefer to hang the quilts and glorify their history, she likens Maggie, her simple sister to just use them as if they didn’t have any significant meaning. While it is clear that Maggie cares for the quilts promised to her due to the fact when Dee initially took them she left to her room and slammed her door. Maggie is meek due to her accident with the house burning down, leaving her scarred. Her sister, Dee is constantly belittling her. However the women in the narrative can be shown to preserve the family history when Mama takes the quilts form Dee and gives them to the daughter who is assumed to use them everyday.