Dee Walker's Character In Everyday Use By Alice Walker

In the story of “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker there is a character named Dee Johnson and she is a very clever person. Alice Walker makes Dee Johnson’s character into a very clever but shallow. In the first paragraph, Walker makes Dee’s image, who first seems shallow but as the story goes on she becomes clever. Dee then changes to a more difficult character as the story proceeds. Dee was blessed with both beauty and brains but as the story proceeds it tells that she still struggles with both her heritage and identity. While growing up she is very ashamed of her heritage and where she comes from. She is very fortunate to be the first in her family to go to college. As she starts becoming educated she starts feeling superior over her family.

While reading this there were some animosity toward Dee because of what type of character she was. The animosity was caused by the numerous comments and actions that occurred in the story. She was very selfish, uneducated, and very unappreciative of where she came from. Dee carried herself in a very ridiculous way. Among Dee’s family she is the object of jealousy, awe, and agitation, meanwhile she searches for her purpose and sense of self. Dee and her judgmental nature has an effect on Mama and Maggie, her younger sister. Although she across as being arrogant and insensitive, Mama sees he strive to know more and do more. Dee also portray as being a condensing type person because no matter where Mama and Maggie lived she still kept her commitment to come and visit. When Dee comes to visit she tells Maggie and Mama that she has changed her because Dee had died when she left for college. Dee changed her name to Wangoero, which come across as being an attention seeking ploy who still keeps the selfishness of Dee. With Dee changing her name to Wangoero she wants to reclaim her heritage and honor

The mother in the story has worked extremely hard in raising Dee and her sister. The mother has even went out of her way to send her to college even though she really didn’t have the money and had to get help from the church. Dee comes back from college with a new personality trying to tell her mother and sister what they are doing wrong. She is described as not being a good role model because she does not appreciate anything people do for her. Dee has become a very materialistic person since she has come home from college. She wants the things that her mother has stored up from her ancestors. Dee wants these things because she wants to decorate her house with them. Dee even goes through her mother’s trunk to find other things such as her grandmother’s quilt. Dee wants the things because she wants to show her heritage but mother wants to give them to her sister who will actually use the items. Dee is described as not being a good role model because she is a very materialistic person instead of seeing the value in things. Dee Johnson is a not a very good role model. As she grows up she becomes very ashamed of her heritage and where she is from. She was the first in her family to go to college. Finishing college made her feel superior over her family. When she completes college she becomes an arrogant, unappreciative, and materialistic