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Gender and equity issues
The issue of gender inequality
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Culture:
The Name of the Game Any group of people in the world, small or large, can share a culture. Merriam-Webster defines culture as “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also: the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time.” Just as cultures form originally, they can also adapt and borrow traits from other cultures that may be mixed within them or living in their close proximity or from prolonged contact with a different culture (acculturation). Some cultures observe a matriarchy, in which a family, group, or government is controlled by a woman or a group of women (matriarchy). To put it plainly, women make
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For example, when she arrives, the very first thing Dee announces is that she has taken a new name to remove herself from “the people who oppress her” (Walker). In fact, she was named after her aunt, but Mama humors her instead of making an issue of it (Walker). There are several instances in this story where Dee insults her culture and heritage due to her recent acculturation (Walker). She wants to acquire everyday things from the family home to display as art (Walker). Her sister is offended, but Mama, keeps a tight rein on the situation, as any good leader would (Walker). Mama can see that Dee has evolved and adapted from her experiences and allows her that freedom (Walker). But, not everyone can be seduced by the influences of others and so cultures and traditions are retained. When Dee’s visit ends, life goes back to the way in which Mama and the younger sister, Maggie, are accustom (Walker). Mama keeps a balance in this story. She is conducive in assuring her daughters feel comfortable to stay with what they know or fly off into the
Dee thinks highly of herself because she is academically educated while her mother and sister are not. She flaunts her fortune at her own mother who, along with the church, saves enough money to send Dee to school. She does not even appreciate the sacrifices her mother makes for her on a daily basis. Dee, through a letter, commits to visit Mama and Maggie no matter the rickety accommodations they decide to dwell in (Walker 72). One day when Dee visits her family, Mama and Maggie are shocked to see a stranger exit the vehicle; she is wearing a dress long down to her feet, extravagant gold earrings, and bracelets that makes noise when her arm moves. Her hair is done in an afro with two pigtails wrapped behind her ears (Walker 72). The person they know to be Dee changes her appearance significantly; she even speaks and interacts differently.
Dee is concerned with style, but she’ll do whatever is necessary to improve her circumstances” (Studies in Short Fiction). The mother can face the reality that Dee is trying to escape her old lifestyle to improve her life.
This alludes that she appears rather mannish in stature. Walker chose her to narrate the story because she is strong-willed and very useful with her hands. Mama is a colored woman that is poor and who has raised two daughters by herself. She has worked hard all her life to acquire what she has. She is the mother of Maggie and Dee “Wangero.” She and Maggie live in a rundown house in an open field, while her successful daughter Dee is assumed to live in a more prestigious home. Mama is determined to still love Dee, even if her daughter looks down on her. Mama remains unafraid to speak her mind and she stands up for what she believes in. One example is when she grabbed the quilts from Dee’s hands and presented them to Maggie. Mama states: “I did something I never 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” (Walker 6). This quote describes yet another instance of how Mama persevered in a time of pandemonium, showing both of her daughters’ love, despite being
So much so, that she had gone home from college to try to get some old family belongings to put on “display” to try to keep the history alive. Unlike Maggie, Dee didn’t care much of the future, she just cared about the past and taking all sentimental family heirlooms. Dee being so caught up in the past, even changes her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. When Dee first mentions the name change Mama is caught off guard. Mama was confused by this statement and asked, "What happened to ‘Dee’ "(Walker 5). Dee was trying to be polite but she came off extremely blunt by saying "She's dead, I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me" (Walker 5). Dee’s Name had been passed down from generation to generation, if that doesn’t scream family heritage I don’t know what would. Maggie wasn’t the smartest but she sure knew what she had to do to keep the family tradition going. Maggie was in love and had her whole life ahead of her. Therefore, thinking about the future, she knew having kids one day, would keep the tradition alive. After Mama figured out which child really did value the family heritage, everything started to change for the
She anticipates that soon her daughter Maggie will be married and she will be living peacefully alone. Mama decides that she will wait in the yard for her daughter Dee's arrival. Mama knows that her other daughter, Maggie, will be nervous throughout Dee's stay, self -conscious of her scars and burn marks and jealous of Dee's much easier life. Mama fantasizes about reunion scenes on television programs in which a successful daughter embraces the parents who have made her success possible.
...ster and then returns after bettering herself. Mama and Maggie are obviously somewhat jealous of Dee's life. Dee is misunderstood as a selfish, bratty, unappreciative daughter. Maggie is misunderstood as being this sweet, shy, perfect child. Both of the sisters are very misunderstood, but Dee is definitely the most understood of the two. Dee deserves a lot more credit than she receives in this story.
Dee is shallow and manipulative. Not only does her education separate her from her family identity and heritage, it prevents her from bonding with her mother and sister. If Dee could only push her arrogance aside, she would be able to develop a deep connection with her family. While connecting with her family, Dee would also develop a deeper understanding of her heritage. Maggie and Mama did not give in to the “whim of an outside world that doesn’t really have much to do with them” (Farrell par.1). In the attempt to “fit” in, Dee has become self-centered, and demanding with her very own family; to the extent of intimidation, and
Dee is the prodigal daughter; she left home to taste the world only to be given a new appreciation of her backwoods home. She is the favored daughter, possibly because her mother was always trying to get into her favor. And she is the daughter who received all the genetic blessings: fair skin, soft hair, and a full body which gives her confidence and dominance over others, particularly her family. Her confidence radiates in the fact that she can look anyone in the eye, including “strange white men” who terrify both her mother and her sister Maggie. That same stare was the only form of emotion given when their house burned down, a tragedy that may have been perpetrated by Dee in the first place. Her hatred for that house and their lifestyle was what gave Dee a film over her eyelids, a picture of grey and filth, and eventually sent her away. She desperately wanted a life more suitable for a woman of her class, a class that she felt was better than even her own family. And as time goes by, she returns to the house that she criticized for years, never completely running her back on her family, but only for a visit and never with company, for fear of the tint it would bring to her name. Her last visit however finds her as a completely different person, with a man and a mission.
First, the reader notices a stark contrast in the English language between Mama and Dee. Mama, the uneducated one, uses incorrect grammar throughout the story. Dee, having obtained a college degree, speaks very properly. When Mama tells Dee that she is going to give Maggie the quilts, Dee exclaims, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts…She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday u...
In “Everyday Use”, Alice Walker is exploring the concept of heritage as it applies to African-Americans. It appears to be set in the late ‘60s or early ‘70s. This was the time when African-Americans were struggling to define their personal identities. Many blacks who had stories of pain and injustice wanted to rediscover their African roots, and they were denying their American heritage to do so. In “Everyday Use,” Alice Walker argues that an African-American is both African and American.
Dee is unappreciative and disrespectful to her own mother and eventually, as with nearly everything; enough is enough and Mama stood up for herself, completely transforming herself as a character. It is necessary in life to treat others the way that you would like to be treated. This seems to be a saying that Mama lived by, but her daughter didn’t reciprocate back to her. “Everyday Use” teaches the reader many lessons of the importance of a family and how easily individuals could be shaped by the world around
Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," explores Dee and Maggie's opposing views about their heritage by conveying symbolism through their actions. Maggie is reminded of her heritage throughout everyday life. Her daily chores consist of churning milk, helping mama skin hogs on the bench which is the same table her ancestors built, and working in the pasture. On the other hand, Dee moved to the city where she attends college. It is obvious throughout the story; Dee does not appreciate her heritage. When Dee comes back to visit Mama and Maggie she announces that she has changed her name to Wangero. Dee states "I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me" (89). Her stopping the tradition of the name Dee, which goes back as far as mama can remember, tells the reader that Dee does not value her heritage. Another symbolism of her lack of appreciation for her heritage demonstrated through her actions is when Dee asks Mama if she can have the churn top to use it as a ce...
In the short story, "Everyday Use", author Alice Walker uses everyday objects, which are described in the story with some detail, and the reactions of the main characters to these objects, to contrast the simple and practical with the stylish and faddish. The main characters in this story, "Mama" and Maggie on one side, Dee on the other, each have opposing views on the value and worth of the various items in their lives, and the author uses this conflict to make the point that the substance of an object, and of people, is more important than style.
Contrasting with Mama and Maggie, Dee seeks her heritage. without understanding the heritage itself. Unlike Mama who is rough and man-like, and Maggie, who is shy and scared, Dee is. confident, where "hesitation is no part of her nature," Walker said. 289) and beautiful.
The story makes clear that Dee is equally confused about the nature of her inheritance both from her immediate family and from the larger black tradition. Dee struggles to move beyond the limited world of her youth, and it shines through by her materialistic attitude and hardship she gives her family. Given the self centeredness and aesthetic appeal she gives, Dee still has a lot of learning to do, and still has to understand herself and will do so from the future experiences in her life.