Mama In Alice Walker's Everyday Use

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In Alice Walkers short story “Everyday Use,” Mama is a blissful and selfless kind of woman who would do anything to help her eldest daughter Dee succeed. When Mama realizes she has put more effort into Dee over her younger daughter Maggie, she knows it’s time to develop from this. Mama has this hope for Dee to see her for what she has done to support her. When Mama starts to notice how Dee is becoming she starts to consider giving Maggie the credit she deserves. In “Everyday Use,” Mama can be portrayed as unfair at first, but when her eyes become open to Maggie she makes a choice that will shock us all. In the beginning of the story the audience can see Mama’s excitement towards Dee’s accomplishments. Mama is shown as a hopeful mother who anticipates to get recognition for everything she does to support her daughter, Dee. Mama says “You’ve no …show more content…

She becomes upset because she can feel the disappointment in Maggie’s heart. Dee says “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts….She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use” (Walker 1014). Here Mama feels a sense of confusion, because as said before Mama gave Dee an opportunity to receive one if not both of the quilts and she said she wasn’t interested in the quilts. The audience can almost feel the sense of confusion by Mama when Dee makes that statement, because Mama wants the quilts to be used. When Mama hears Dee say that she replies with “I reckon she would….I hope she will!” (Walker 1014). Mama’s feeling are completely uprooted and she was firm on giving Maggie those quilts. After all Grandma Dee and Big Dee taught Maggie how to quilt in the first place. Mama knows these quilts belong to Maggie, so she instilled in herself and gave the quilts to Maggie. Mama knew she had done the right thing and she knew they would be taken care of and

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