Short Story Dee-Vastating On African American

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Dee-vastating The short story everyday use portrays a story about an African American family and the return of the family’s eldest daughter, Dee. Upon arrival back at her childhood home Dee has strolled in with an African man and a newly revealed interest in her family heritage. This is shown in the beautiful African dress dee wears and the changing of dee name to a much more historically correct name. This was just the beginning and the true point that started the tension was when Dee asked about keeping her mom’s blankets. The problem is that Dee, before now never had any interest in her family heritage and this quilts were family air looms and not meant to be truly be used anymore. Dee brings the tension from just her family unto the reader …show more content…

Back in the day when slavery was rampant the male slave did physical labor while the female slaves took on more household jobs. Homes from this era did not have a sufficient source of heat and the families used quilts as the primary way to keep warm. These quilts were no ordinary quilts they are works of art by the female slaves, beautiful colors and shapes fantastically arranged to catch everyone’s eye. These beautiful quilts were only to be used by the slave owner’s family or to be sold for profit by the slaved owner. The African slaves also needed a source of warmth to aid in survival for their families. Therefore quilters would hang on to every scrap of cloth and construct beautiful blankets to keep their family warm. Theses masterpieces were used every day as a means of survival and some are still around today kept in museums or as family air …show more content…

Dee is viewed as god like by her sister and mother stating "no is a word the world never learned to say to her”. This must mean that dee is just as beautiful and charming as Mama describes her. Mama seems so jealous and nervous that she won’t think highly of her, she places herself as the one whom is not good enough to have raised her. Mama cannot even see any flaw with Dee yet has No problem seeing Maggie’s scars perfectly. Perhaps this may be why Dee is never told no, allowing no difficulty obtaining something she likes. Dee Seemed have gotten her whole education and received her African man without incident. A beautiful life for a beautiful African woman who returns home to show she has become a different person Someone who now cares where she came from. Dee is looking for a one last yes from her mom, one that will allow Dee to use the family quilts for her own personal daily

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