Everyday Use by Alice Walker
Through contrasting family members and views in "Everyday Use", Alice Walker illustrates the importance of understanding our present life in relation to the traditions of our own people and culture. Using careful descriptions and attitudes, Walker demonstrates which factors contribute to the values of one's heritage and culture; she illustrates that these are represented not by the possession of objects or mere appearances, but by one's lifestyle and attitude.
Throughout the story, Walker personifies the different sides of culture and heritage in the characters of Dee and the mother (the narrator). Dee can be seen to represent a materialistic, complex, and modern way of life where culture and heritage are to be valued only for their "trendy-ness" and aesthetic appeal. Mother, on the other hand, represents a simple content way of life where culture and heritage are valued for both its usefulness, as well as its personal significance.
The story clearly supports the mother?s simple, unsophisticated view of heritage, and shows disdain for Dee?s materialistic connection to her heritage. This is demonstrated from the beginning of the story. We learn very quickly that the mother has inherited many customs and traditions from her ancestors. She describes herself as ?a large big-boned woman with rough man-working hands? (485). She also describes here various abilities including, ? I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man?I can work out...
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
If Socrates were put on trial today it would be much like his trial in Athens, most likely put on trial for the same reason of some citizens resenting him for his deeds of making them seem foolish. Upon living within our society, he would have had a grasp of what we value and want from life. Knowing about what his view of our society would most likely be, I believe that Socrates would defend himself and make a statement to our society by explain to us, are we only resent him due to our arrogance as found in the Apology and The Allegory of the Cave, how we must change our ways as a society by properly prioritizing our efforts to seek wisdom as seen in his conversation with Meno, and will refute how any punishment we could give him will not
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.
The two stories start off with the same calm tone. ‘...fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green.” from the first line of “The Lottery” is similar to “the air of morning was so clear that the snow still crowning the Eighteen Peaks burned with white-gold fire across the miles of sunlit air, under the dark blue of the sky” in the first paragraph of “...Omelas”. The authors do this to create a more dramatic reaction to what secrets will be revealed about the villages.
While in the process buying whatever is necessary to the produce. The companies will “monopoly’s the shore” (32). Taking away the beauty of nature to do whatever suits their pocket books. When companies find a piece of nature that makes them money, they buy the land and strip that of its beauty and turn it into private property. Taking a once open and free part of nature away from the people who used to inhabit the area. In Thoreau’s words “Most men, it appears to me, do not care for Nature, and would sell their shares in all her beauty, for a long they may live, for a stated and not very large sum”(32). He knew in his time that the average person doesn’t care about the beauty of nature. That if they could sell nature for a quick dollar, most would do it. This is in line with his thoughts on private ownership of nature. Nature will be devoured for its recourses for Americans to make money. He wants nature to public for all people, so that one person or origination can’t keep it to themselves and what they wish with it ruining it beauty. This is the same thought behind the creation of public parks whether they’re national, state or
Dee is a young, headstrong woman, who believes she deserves better than what her mother could ever give her. She reads to her mother and sister to show off the education her mother and church paid for. Dee doesn’t accept she came from, yet she’ll claim how proud she is of her heritage. this can be seen as situational irony, like when she wanted the quilts she didn’t want at college. Dee, is spoiled, hypocritical, and conceited due to her life experiences.
“The Lottery” starts out with “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blue blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green. The people of the village began to gather in the square,” (373) and in “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas,” Le Guinn begins with “the Festival of summer came to the city of Omelas, bright-towered by the sea. The rigging of the boats in harbor sparkled with flags. In the streets between houses with the red roofs and painted walls, between old moss-grown gardens and under avenues of trees, past great parks and public buildings, precisions moved.” (380) With both Jackson and Le Guin’s short story the reader is lead to believe that something exciting and pleasurable is about to occur, however, the reader soon realizes that this particular event, while exciting, is no longer pleasurable. Le Guin depicts the people of Omelas smiles to be something of the past “But we not say the words of cheer much any more. All smiles have become archaic” and again when she describes the celebration as being something that the people have come to fear, “The joy built upon successful slaughter is not the right kind of joy; it will not do; it is fearful and it is trivial.” (382) In the “The Lottery,” Jackson indicates that although it is a beautiful summer day, full of new
Heritage is one of the most important factors that represents where a person came from. In “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, this short story characterizes not only the symbolism of heritage, but also separates the difference between what heritage really means and what it may be portrayed as. Throughout the story, it reveals an African-American family living in small home and struggling financially. Dee is a well-educated woman who struggles to understand her family's heritage because she is embarrassed of her mother and sister, Mama and Maggie. Unlike Dee, Mama and Maggie do not have an education, but they understand and appreciate their family's background. In “Everyday Use,” the quilts, handicrafts, and Dee’s transformation helps the reader interpret that Walker exposed symbolism of heritage in two distinctive point of views.
The story “Everyday Use” is written by Alice Walker. The story is about two sisters who grew up in the same household but one sister is ashamed of her past life. When Dee got older and finished boarding school in Augusta she basically forgot where she came from. Mama, Maggie, and Dee all have different personalities. Since Dee was able to leave home and experience new things she bashes her old life, but still want things from her past life and stuff that was passed on from her ancestors as a trophy piece. In this story the characters represent two different kinds of heritage. Mama and Maggie represent one side of heritage and Dee represents another. The author use dialogue, tone, and imagery to describe the characters and their heritage.
Alice Walker uses two themes to show us that Dee does not model her mother. The first theme is heritage. The main way Dee denies her heritage is by her name change. We see this when Mama says, [“What happened to Dee?” “She’s Dead,” Wangero replied “I co...
Kingston uses the story of her aunt to show the gender roles in China. Women had to take and respect gender roles that they were given. Women roles they had to follow were getting married, obey men, be a mother, and provide food. Women had to get married. Kingston states, “When the family found a young man in the next village to be her husband…she would be the first wife, an advantage secure now” (623). This quote shows how women had to get married, which is a role women in China had to follow. Moreover, marriage is a very important step in women lives. The marriage of a couple in the village where Kingston’s aunt lived was very important because any thing an individual would do would affect the village and create social disorder. Men dominated women physically and mentally. In paragraph eighteen, “they both gav...
Socrates questions Thrasymachus on why he adds the detail of the stronger to his definition of justice. Socrates than asks, if it is just for everyone to follow the laws that the ruler has made, if the ruler has made unjust laws. His argument is that people, even rulers make mistakes. This meaning that if a ruler makes mistakes on the law does that still make it just. It is a very conflicting argument to think about, if the rules are not just then why should they be followed but the rules were also put in place by someone who is supposed to know the difference between just and unjust and choose correctly. This relates to what Socrates says during his trial portrayed in the Apology. Socrates claims
My culture identity, as I know it as is African American. My culture can be seen in food, literature, religion, language, the community, family structure, the individual, music, dance, art, and could be summed up as the symbolic level. Symbolic, because faith plays a major role in our daily lives through song, prayer, praise and worship. When I’m happy I rely on my faith, same as when I’m sad, for I know things will get better as they have before.
The traditional society condemns men to bread-wining responsibilities. However, with modernity, comes the change in roles. Women have an equal share in role taking. The modern society not only permits women but also gives them an opportunity to provide for their families among other responsibilities. However, this drastic change is a factor towards competition, a need for supremacy or pride. Therefore, regardless of their different struggles, conflicts or challenges they face, every woman has a zeal towards success. In “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, the narrator’s extensive description of her daughters’ difference in character and personality clearly shows that she is biased towards Maggie, who is more inclined to support her cultural beliefs
...ns. Why would he do this if he did not see the laws of Athens as just? In order to fulfill the agreement he has made with Athenian law, Socrates must accept the punishment he is given, though he feels that his being punished is Athens wronging him. It would be wrong, by his view, to escape from prison, though he would not be pursued, because he would be breaking his agreement to obey Athenian law. Since he and Crito previously agreed that one must never do wrong, he simply must stay in jail until his death. This is merely one example of the way in which Socrates uses a method of logical dialogue in order to make his point. He appears to be unmatched in his skills of deduction and consistently demonstrates his love of knowledge and truth. Socrates exemplifies all that is philosophy, both as a student and a teacher, because of his constant, active pursuit of wisdom.