Numerous members of the class strongly felt that the story's central theme lied in the differing values of each the characters. They used textual evidence to prove that Dee's views on certain issues were so unlike those of her mother and Maggie's that they actually created a barrier between Dee and her family. Others felt that the setting and the type/amount of education influenced the motives of each of the characters. These people referred to the fact that Dee had the opportunity to obtain a proper education and that Mama and Maggie did not. The rural setting served as a means to

Upon arriving at her mother's new house for the first time, Dee surprises her mother and Maggie with her appearance and her apparent name change. Dee quickly informs her mother that she has made her new name "Wangero" to reflect her African heritage. She no longer will be named after the people who oppress her. This reference can be attributed to Dee's possible experiences as a civil rights activist. Among the black community many people adopt African names to reflect their pre-slavery heritage. While this can be a source of strength and affirmation for some, it may represent a rejection of one's past, as it apparently does for Dee. Even her mother's response that she was named 'Dee' after her aunt, who was named for the aunt's mother, "though I probably could have carried it back beyond the Civil War through the branches," does not have any true effect on her perception of her given name (32). Dee still feels that being called "Wangero" will give her cultural fulfillment, whereas her real name holds her back from attaining this. She fails to recognize that her mother's words actually show how the family is proud to pass the name 'Dee' along generations to help preserve their own traditions. Dee does not feel the pride that is associated with her real name because she possesses a certain prejudice against her family that will not allow her to embrace her own private heritage. This prejudice is rooted in her beliefs that her mother and Maggie are incapable of relating her views due to their lack of education and their unwillingness to accept new ideas. Judging from Dee's opinions about her name, readers can clearly see that she has misunderstandings about her living heritage that prevent her from feeling the joy of carrying on a family name.

Dee's family knows that "hesitation [is] no part of [Dee's] nature," and that she is determined to achieve what she desires (6). In the bedroom, rifling through her mother's keepsakes, Dee finds her grandma's quilts, and tries to lay claim to them. The quilts are made of old dresses and cloths, some handed down from several prior generations. When Dee asks her mother if she can have them, we sense a t

Some common words found in the essay are:
Maggie Dee, Judging Dee's, Stash Dee, Walker's Everyday, Civil War, Grandmama Numerous, , Everyday Dee's, Mama Maggie, mother maggie, Alice Walker's, alice walker's everyday, alice walker's, walker's everyday, dee exclaims, dee feel, dee's claim, claim quilts, name change, common heritage, roots dee,
Approximate Word count = 1455
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)