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symbolism for the story " Everyday Use"
symbolism in everyday use essay
symbolism in everyday use essay
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Symbolism is a symbol of whatever the object or subject is about. Every little object can be used as a symbol of whatever. Like in math, for example shapes and numbers symbolize anything it can be. Also, the American flag, It has fifty stars, representing 50 states. Also, colors may be used as a symbol. Especially in the person, you can see their true color on how they are or act. Like red angry, blue sad, green happy, black dark, purple love, anything represents something. This is most likely your tone of mood. Also, signs outdoors have symbols. Like signs you see on the road, express way, ditches, restaurants, stores, etc. Most likely everywhere, you just got to pay more attention in what is outdoors and what’s around you.
In the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker it’s about a mother named Mama Johnson has two daughters who are not very much alike. Her older daughter Dee, is very outgoing, beautiful, but is one who doesn’t understand his heritage, and her younger daughter Maggie who is very shy and not outgoing, but really truly understands her heritage. They don’t really talk to each other, not since after their incident on what happened to their last house that burned down. Dee finally after who knows how many years comes back and visits her mother and Maggie just to ask for some of her old stuff they used to just show off her old culture from where she came from. Then she wants to take some quilts her grandmother made that her mother had promised Maggie when she would get married. Arguing starts with the mother and Dee, and the mother realizes Dee can’t get everything she wants, and decides to make a change and reject her request.
A manifold of characters and objects that describe symbolism in “Everyday Use” ...
... middle of paper ...
... in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker have multiple ideas of symbolism to describe each one of them in what they symbolize.
Works Cited
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Eshbough. “A Literary Analysis of Alice Walker’s Short Story ‘Everyday Use’.” YAHOO! VOICES. Yahoo, Inc., 21 Aug 2008. Web. 17 Mar 2014.
Moore, Julie. “Heritage and Symbolism in Alice Walker’s ‘Everyday Use’.” YAHOO! VOICES. N.p., 29 May 2007. Web. 17 Mar 2014.
Spark Notes Editors. “Themes, Mitotics, and Symbol.” Spark Notes. Spark Notes LLC, N.d., Web. 17 Mar 2014.
Velazquez, Juan R. “Characterization and Symbolism in Alice Walker’s ‘Everyday Use’.” Lone Star. N.p, n.d. Web. 17 Mar 2014.
White, David. “’Everyday Use’: Defining African American Heritage.” Luminarium. Anniina Jokinen, 19 Sep 2002. Web. 17 Mar 2014.
Ultimately, the dispute over what is considered everyday use is what brings about Alice Walker’s title. In the case of Alice Walker, her title is derived from the idea of the conflict and message of the story. Alice Walker challenges her readers to see the negative outcome of being a materialistic person. She shows how this often harms people’s families, and also hurts livelihoods in convincing people to use things in a good or insecure manner. Alice Walker identifies much in “Everyday Use,” and these things are displayed through title which she selected. It draws people to the story, in craving what the story is about, and it also gives enough information to make the story interesting. Titles reflect a story and show how important it is for people to discuss the messages, certain lines, and conflicts in a story, and Alice Walker’s story really shows all three of these things. Overall, Alice Walker’s choice of “Everyday Use,” for her title is correctly chosen because first it portrays differing ideas, is the indirect source of conflict, and last, identifies the ‘good’ and the
Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” centers on a mama, Mrs. Johnson, and her two daughters, Maggie and Dee, and how they view their heritage. In “Everyday Use”, the author, Alice Walker, uses symbolism not just to convey imagery and increase the story’s emotional impact, as is typical for most literature, but also to tell parts of the story, be more descriptive with her depictions of characters and objects within the story, give back story, and communicate more of her characters’ personalities. Like most writings, “Everyday Use” contains symbolism in the form of objects and actions, but the symbolism in Everyday Use is very notable and striking because it is materialized in rather unorthodox ways and places, such as characters’ names, in the back
In Alice Walker’s story “Everyday Use,” symbolism, allegory, and myth stand out when thinking about the characters, setting, and conflict in the story. The conflict is between the mother and her two daughters (Maggie and Dee). There is also the conflict between the family’s heritage (symbolized by the quilt, bench, and butter chum) and their different ways of life. Dee chose a new African name, moved to the city, and adopted a new way of life while Maggie and her mother have stay behind. The quilt (the most important symbol) represents the family’s heritage in that it is made of scraps of clothing worn by generations of family members. The quilt has been sewn by family hands and used on family beds. It has seen history and is history. Maggie and her mother see that that history is alive but Dee thinks it is as dead as her name. Dee does not see that name as part of her heritage. By analyzing these symbols, a number of possibilities for a theme can be seen. Walker could be suggesting that to understand the African-American heritage, readers have to include the present as well as the past. However, the theme could be that poverty and a lack of sophistication and education cannot be equated with ignorance. Lastly, she could be telling her readers that dignity or self-respect rise from and are virtually connected to one’s entire heritage- not just a selected part of it.
In "Everyday Use," Alice Walker stresses the importance of heritage. She employs various ways to reveal many aspects of heritage that are otherwise hard to be noticed.
n “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, we hear a story from the viewpoint of Mama, an African American woman about a visit from her daughter Dee. Mama along with her other daughter Maggie still live poor in the Deep South while Dee has moved onto a more successful life. Mama and Maggie embrace their roots and heritage whereas Dee wants to get as far away as possible. During her return, Dee draws her attention to a quilt. It is this quilt and the title of the piece that centers on the concept of what it means to integrate one’s culture into their everyday life.
The characters in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker serve as a comparison between how family heritage and traditions are viewed. Walker illustrates that heritage is represented not by the possession of items or how they look, but buy how they are used, how one’s attitude is, and how they go about a daily lifestyle. Every memory or tradition in “Everyday Use” strengthens the separation in the relationship between Dee and her mother, the narrator, which involves different views on their family heritage.
“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker shows the struggle in how the relationship and values of a family can be affected by different influences in their lifestyles. The story follows the main characters who are Dee, Maggie and Mama. Maggie is a humble character who leads a simple life without the knowledge and opportunities like Dee had. Dee is Maggie’s older sister, and is said to be a very educated and determined to get what she wants. Mama is their mother who is described as being middle-aged, big boned and has a body that is more like a man’s. The story begins when Dee visits after time away and a conflict between her and her mother over heirlooms begins. The struggle between the two characters over the heirlooms shows the contrast in ideas about their heritage and traditions. Throughout the beginning of the story Dee goes back and forth on being and rejecting her traditions. For example, when she wants the quilts that her mother has stating that she wants them because of the generations of clothing and effort put into making the quilt, showing her appreciation for her heritage. But the quilts have been promised to be given to Maggie by their mother. Dee says that the priceless quilts will be destroyed if given to Maggie and Mama sticks up for the younger saying she knows how to quilt and can make more of them if she wanted. Mama who usually gave Dee everythin...
In the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, the author portrays opposing ideas about one’s heritage. Through the eyes of two daughters, Dee and Maggie, who have chosen to live their lives in very different manners, the reader can choose which character to identify most with by judging what is really important in one’s life. In Dee’s case, she goes out to make all that can of herself while leaving her past behind, in comparison to Maggie, who stays back with her roots and makes the most out of the surroundings that she has been placed in. Through the use of symbolism, the tangible object of a family heirloom quilt brings out these issues relating to heritage to Mama, and she is able to reasonably decide which of her daughters has a real appreciation for the quilt, and can pass it on to her. Dee and Maggie shed a new light on the actual meaning of heritage through their personality traits, lifestyle decisions, and relationships with specific family members.
Heritage is something that people see in various ways. When many people think of heritage they think of past generation and where their family comes from. Other people place their heritage on the value of things, such as old quits that are made from something sentimental. In Everyday Use this is exactly how Maggie thinks of heritage. She wants the quits that were handmade out of her grandma’s dresses because to her that is a sign of her heritage. Alice Walker’s story is based on heritage. The narrator of the story has two daughters who could not be more different. One daughter, Dee, is beautiful and cares a lot about finding her place in the world, and about fashion. Maggie on the other hand is very practical. She does not see any reason for fashion and is okay with her placement in this world. This is because she is like her mother. Her mother is someone who has had to work very hard to provide for her daughters. She prefers the hard work and takes pride in what she is able to do. When Maggie comes back to visit she brings her abnormal husband with her. She has changed her name and all of a sudden cares a lot about her heritage. She keeps asking to take things that she knows have been in the family for a while. Her mom is okay with this until she tries to take the quilts that she has already offered to Maggie as a wedding present. This is the last straw for her mom and she tells Dee no, which causes Dee to get angry because she knows that Maggie will actually use the blankets and they will fall apart in a few years. Dee leaves angry and then Maggie and her mom move on with their lives. This is a very effective story because they story shows two very different views, creates entertaining characters, and contains a powerful message...
While symbols are everywhere in the world, some are well known and others are unfamiliar. Like, in Eudora Welty’s vividly imaginative short story, “A Worn Path”, symbolism can be seen throughout. “A Worn Path” tells the tale of Phoenix Jackson-an African American woman-who deals with the oppression from whites during the mid-1900’s. Phoenix Jackson’s grandson has swallowed Lye and it is time for her to obtain his medicine from town. She begins her journey to town on a cold early morning in December. Phoenix dreads this year round journey because she is very old, partially blind, and can hardly walk without a cane. The author points out, “She carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in
Culture is strongly demonstrated in “Everyday Use,” a short story by Alice Walker. The representation of African –American culture, heritage, and struggles powerfully takes over the story. “Everyday Use” was published in 1973. The story is focusing about a mother and her two daughters. The author shows their different identities and their ideas about heritage. In the story, Mama who is also the narrator shows how tradition and education in her family causes conflicts between both her daughters, Dee and Maggie. The Johnson family, experiences some stress when Dee, the daughter who does not live with the family comes back home for a visit. Dee is the only member of the family who has received a proper college education. Maggie, the younger daughter
Alice Walker is a well-known African- American writer known for published fiction, poetry, and biography. She received a number of awards for many of her publications. One of Walker's best short stories titled "Everyday Use," tells the story of a mother and her two daughters' conflicting ideas about their heritage. The mother narrates the story of the visit by her daughter, Dee. She is an educated woman who now lives in the city, visiting from college. She starts a conflict with the other daughter, Maggie over the possession of the heirloom quilts. Maggie still lives the lifestyle of her ancestors; she deserves the right of the quilts. This story explores heritage by using symbolism of the daughters' actions, family items, and tradition.
"Everyday Use" is a short story written by Alice Walker. Walker did a wonderful job illustrating her characters. There are all types of characters in this short story from round to static. Her use of simple symbolism prompts the reader to take a deeper look into the story. Walker’s humble way of conveying the theme makes the reader take a second look at him or herself. Walker did an excellent job in writing this story, so she could warn people of what might happen if they do not live properly.
Walker, Alice. "Everyday Use." Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Harper Collins, 1991.
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.