Alice Walker was born in 1944 in Eatonton, GA. The youngest of eight children, her parents were sharecroppers and dairy farmers. Because of an accident that left her disfigured and blind, she felt that she was ugly and scary to look at so she spent most of her time alone, writing poems and stories. Amy Tan was born in 1952 in Oakland, California. Her father was educated in Beijing and immigrated to America in 1947 and her mother, forced to leave behind three children from a previous marriage, immigrated to the U.S. in 1949 shortly after the Communists took control of China.

In her story "Everyday Use", Alice Walker serves as the narrator who describes how the family struggles because of their cultural heritage/ Walker's character grew up in the country on a farm and now has two daughters, Maggie and Dee. The story opens as the Mother and Maggie await a visit from Dee and her fiance or husband (the narrator is not sure which). Dee, who does not approve of her Mother's lifestyle, has gone on to college

The author jokes about how she was better able to function in the non-Chinese world as her vocabulary increased. "When I learned to pronounce prix fixe, I ate French food at prices better than the easier-to-say a la carte choices."

The Mother is surprised when Dee arrives wearing "a dress so loud, it hurts my eyes." Dee tells them that she has changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo, because "I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me." Dee's friend also has a changed name and the mother calls him "Hakim-a-barber." Because he is a Muslim, he will not eat the pork that the mother cooked.

Tan goes on to say that the Chinese language is "more strategic in manner, whereas English tends to be more direct." She worries that this may make people view the Chinese in a "limited and limiting perspective."

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 934
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)