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Alice Walker’s story, “Everyday Use.” Describe the character of "Mama
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Although, parents try to be fair there are always subtle differences picked up by the children, whether one is preferred better over the other sibling. These occurrences are known as parents picking favorites. Of course, every mother loves her children equally, but tends to favor one over the other simply because he or she is older, smarter, holds more responsibility, or just better behaved than the others, the reason being always varies. Every sibling is different, each with his or her unique personalities and ways of expression. “I did something I never done before: I hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of (Dee) Miss Wangero’s hands and dumped them into Maggie’s lap. Maggie just sat there on my bed with her mouth open.” (Walker, Everyday Use) In the previous excerpt from the story Mama, in a sense, picked a favorite daughter out of the two. In this case, it was Maggie when deciding who should have the quilts. In the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, Walker describes her two daughters. Maggie and Dee are sisters. Throughout the short story, Walker reveals the two sister’s differences in character and personalities through the use of language (words) and actions as the story develops. The reader learns more about each sister through the mother’s words. With this in mind, the mother, or the narrator of the story describes herself as a big-boned, manly woman with hands so rough from years of physical labor. She is a tough parent, taking the role of both mother and father for her daughters and providing for them. Taking into account that they are a poor family and most of them are uneducated. By her mother’s observation and words she describes Maggie as shy. “Maggie walks chin ... ... middle of paper ... ...tely denying her family history, ancestors, and heritage to avoid some of the past. She’s also arrogant in terms of her showing off her newly obtained knowledge or education to family members who feel overwhelmed by it. Maggie, on the other hand, is much more lenient, she understands her sister better than her mother does and can accept her past. To sum it up, based on the story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, the mother’s words and actions mentioned previously showed differences between the two sisters when faced with various situations as the narrative unfolds. It seems like the mother picked favorites amongst her daughters although, that may or may not be the case. The mother’s actions and language caused the sisters to react a certain way towards her which in turn is what makes them different, unique in personality, looks, and actions.
The narrator has two daughters, Dee and Maggie. Dee was this cute girl who was super intelligent and sophisticated. She often saw herself as being above her mother and sister and would often make them feel stupid and bad about themselves. "She used to read to us without pity, forcing words, lies, other folks' habits, whole lives upon us two, sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice". She shows that Dee enjoyed making her mother and younger sister feel dumb about themselves because it made her feel superior. Her whole life Dee detested her family and where she came from and couldn’t wait to get away. But, still her mother worked her booty off to provide her with high education and a good life. Dee goes away to college and when she returns she is a completely different person, suddenly interested in her family; photographing them upon arrival. With her guest, new "Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo", invades her mothers house taking everything in like it’s a cute display for her. Finally, when Wangero (Dee) demands that her mother give her some quilts, her mum can not take anymore. She tells Dee that Maggie, not her, will be receiving the quilts and she snaps. "I did something I never had done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's hands, and dumped them into Maggie's lap. Maggie just sat
Have you ever seen the Disney movie Cinderella? Cinderella was always jealous of her step sisters always being up lifted, while she was always degraded by her step mother however, at the end everything changed for Cinderella just as it did for Maggie. There are a numerous of themes throughout the story “Everyday Use”. Race is showed when Dee leaves home and comes back embracing her African American cultural. Family also plays a major role in “Everyday Use”. In “Everyday Use” Maggie’s characterization presents her as ignorant; however, a closer look reveals Maggie ignorance is not a representative of her potential but, rather her mother’s bias.
When two children are brought up by the same parent in the same environment, one might logically conclude that these children will be very similar, or at least have comparable qualities. In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," however, this is not the case. The only thing Maggie and Dee share in common is the fact that they were both raised by the same woman in the same home. They differ in appearance, personality, and ideas that concern the family artifacts.
First in “Everyday Use” you recognize the differences in all three women throughout the story. The mama
Alice Walkers “Everyday Use”, is a story about a family of African Americans that are faced with moral issues involving what true inheritance is and who deserves it. Two sisters and two hand stitched quilts become the center of focus for this short story. Walker paints for us the most vivid representation through a third person perspective of family values and how people from the same environment and upbringing can become different types of people.
In “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich the two main characters Lyman and Henry are brothers that have an amazing relationship with one another. In the beginning of the story Erdrich writes about how Lyman and Henry bought a gorgeous red convertible; and together they went on plenty of road trips and bonded over the car. On the other hand, the two siblings in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” don’t have that same sibling bond. The siblings in “Everyday Use”, Maggie and Dee, are complete opposites. Dee is extremely vain, snobbish, and outspoken while Maggie is coy, insecure, and timid. Although Maggie and Dee aren’t as close as Lyman and Henry, they still have a very complex relationship in terms of being “close” to one another even though it seems as if they’re from two different planets. In the stories “Everyday Use” and “The Red Convertible”, the characters share one particular trait which is
In this story, Maggie is a lot like her mother. They both are uneducated, loving, caring, and allow Dee to run over them. Maggie has been through more things than her mother has though, because of the incident that happened. Maggie has scars like Emily, except Maggie’s scars are from a house fire (319). The house fire has impacted Maggie’s life tremendously, since she is very self-conscious and shy. Walker stated that Maggie is “ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs (318). The mother is protective of Maggie and will be there for her whenever she needs her too. Even though her mother knows all her struggles, she still supports her and pushes her to be better. I think that is one reason she pushes her to marry John Thomas, because she wants her to become her own person and to be strong (319). The mother of “Everyday Use” is opposite from the mother in “I Stand Here Ironing”, because she is there for her children no matter what their financial status
In "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, Walker shows differences in human character, just by the way they act towards family members. The main character in the story, Mother, has two daughters that she treats very differently, and they treat her differently. One daughter looks down on Mother in a condescending manner, and the other is obedient and kind. In "Everyday Use", Walker shows that in relationships between a mother and daughters, adaptation to change can sometimes be very hard, which leads to pride and protecting what one has accomplished, and finally shows how un-appreciation can hinder these relationships.
In “Everyday Use,” Mama illustrates the relationship between her two daughters. Both Maggie and Dee are like opposite poles, making it seem like their relationship is non-existent. Dee is a well-educated, good-looking young woman; who is so concerned with style, and fashion that she lacks the meaning of family and heritage. Maggie, however, is a simple, scarred young girl who truly understands the meaning behind family, and heritage. In “Everyday Use,” Alice Walker demonstrates through Mama’s eyes, the strain in Maggie and Dee’s relationship through Maggie’s actions towards her estranged sister’s visit, and Dee’s remarks and dominance over her younger sister.
Author Alice Walker, displays the importance of personal identity and the significance of one’s heritage. These subjects are being addressed through the characterization of each character. In the story “Everyday Use”, the mother shows how their daughters are in completely two different worlds. One of her daughter, Maggie, is shy and jealous of her sister Dee and thought her sister had it easy with her life. She is the type that would stay around with her mother and be excluded from the outside world. Dee on the other hand, grew to be more outgoing and exposed to the real, modern world. The story shows how the two girls from different views of life co-exist and have a relationship with each other in the family. Maggie had always felt that Mama, her mother, showed more love and care to Dee over her. It is until the end of the story where we find out Mama cares more about Maggie through the quilt her mother gave to her. Showing that even though Dee is successful and have a more modern life, Maggie herself is just as successful in her own way through her love for her traditions and old w...
Because the reader is limited solely to Mama's first person point of view and her own descriptive memories regarding Dee's past, the idea of her family's cultural heritage is presented in such a way as to have the reader side with Mama at the conclusion of the story. Mama contrasts and compares Dee with Maggie. Dee is described as "the child who has made it'" (106), while Maggie is pitifully compared with a lame animal; "have you ever seen a lame animal... sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him? That is the way my Maggie walks. She has been like this... ever since the fire that burned the other house to the ground" (107). Dee is strong, sure of herself, has her own style, has big goals set in place for herself and eventually is sent off to college. However, Dee did not really maintain strong friendships, she more than likely chased them all off with her "faultfinding power" (109). Mama states she herself did not have an education; her school just closed down. "Don't ask me why," she says, "in 1927 colored asked fewer questions than they did now" (108). Maggie seems to humbly understand her own station in her life and within her family, she is to marry John Thomas and live a quiet, simple life.
Quilts symbolize a family’s heritage. Maggie adheres the tradition by learning how to quilt from her grandmother and by sewing her own quilts. Maggie also puts her grandmother’s quilts into everyday use. Therefore, when Dee covets the family’s heirloom, wanting to take her grandmother’s hand-stitched quilts away for decoration, Mama gives the quilts to Maggie. Mama believes that Maggie will continually engage with and build upon the family’s history by using the quilts daily rather than distance herself from
... daughters. Walker uses their grandmother’s quilt as the piece of their family’s past that brings to light the best and worst qualities in the girls. Once she finally sees Maggie’s generous nature, compared to Dee’s spoiled and arrogant nature, and Mama cannot stand to see her youngest daughter lose one of the only things that is only hers, because of the self-centeredness of her older sister. As the short story comes to a closing, the reader can finally be at ease knowing of Mama’s appreciation for Maggie’s kind heart, and her worthiness of being able to keep a piece of their “heritage”.
Maggie lives with a poor and dysfunctional family and a hopeless future with only the small possibility of change. The environment and setting she grows up in do not support anything more than a dull, dreary and pathetic future for her. An old woman asks Maggie's brother Jimmy: "Eh, Gawd, child, what is it this time? Is yer fader beatin yer mudder, or yer mudder beatin yer fader? (Maggie, 10)" while he runs to Maggie's apartment one night. The lack of love and support of her family hinders Maggie's ability to live a happy and fulfilling life. Without knowing that someone loves her no matter what she does or how she acts Maggie may feel desperate enough to change her situation by any means she can, and without any useful guidance. Even without any positive influences Maggie grows up different from the low-life's living with and around her. Crane explains Maggie's uniqueness in the passage "None of the dirt of Rum Alley seemed to be in her veins. The philosophers up-stairs, down-stairs and on the same floor, puzzled over it" (Maggie 16). Maggie's uniqueness gives her the chance to improve her life, but only a slim chance. Even though Maggie differs from the people around her they remain sleazy, making it harder for her to change her life because she must go outside of her community for help.
The offhand description of Maggie states, “The kitchen women with legs like parentheses”, “old and sandy-colored”, and “she rocked when she walked” and all of them are important (1404). Maggie's race is the center of deep confusion later in the story, because neither girl can actually recall what race she was despite that being used as evidence in a an argument that they are present for. The girls not being able to remember what Maggie’s race is draws a parallel with the audience, because much like how they can not remember her race, the audience does not know the race of the girls. Much like how it's up to the audience to determine the girl’s race, the idea, “race lies not in the skin of the subject but in the eye of the observer” lines up with Maggie quite well (Hardy). The fact that neither girl can fully remember Maggie’s race plays well into the idea that the girls also can’t fully remember if they physically abused