Everyday Use Literary Analysis

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Conflict is one of the big literary devices that most authors use today. The short-stories “Everyday Use,” written by Alice Walker in 1973 and “Two Kinds,” written by Amy Tan in 1989 are good examples of how conflict is expressed through literature. In both stories the main characters have opposing opinions on a common ideal. In “Everyday Use” the conflict deals with educated versus uneducated. In “Two Kinds” the conflict deals with what a mother wants for her daughter and what a daughter wants for herself. In “Everyday Use”, Maggie’s notion about the old objects throughout the house is she uses them for the right purpose, while Dee focuses on material possessions and wants to take everything because she believes that they are antiques and …show more content…

June starts to resent how her mother has set high expectations for June, and June feels as if she always disappoints her mother in falling short of those expectations. June’s mother soon purchases a piano for her and hires a blind and deaf piano teacher to help june reach her mother's expectations. June disregards her mother's wishes and chooses to fake being able to play the piano, and when June’s mother signs her up for a talent competition she does terribly. To June’s surprise her mother does not confront her on her dismal performance, however after some time June’s mother reminds June that she need to keep practicing with Mr. Chong. June revolts by telling her mother that she will never be a prodigy child or live up to the high expectations she has set for her daughter, but June’s mother explains that there are two kinds of daughters: those who are obedient and the ones who follow their own minds. June’s final remarks are that she wishes she were dead, which profoundly impacts the mother because of her past. June believes this is when her mother lost all hope in her daughter fulfilling her dreams for her. This is an example of conflict between characters in that June has no respect for her elders nor her heritage. June disrespected her mother's wishes and so it lead to

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