Everyday Use

A detailed Summary of Everyday Use


In the world today, we come across families that have the child that always wants something, and the child that will accept everything they have and not be selfish and greedy. "Everyday Use" is a short story about two sisters who are completely different. The mother wants the younger daughter, Maggie to be just like her older daughter, Dee. Dee has graduated from college and is about to get married, and Maggie is still a young girl. Dee seems to be more materialistic than Maggie. In the story the mother says, "Dee wanted nice things such as a flowery dress for her graduation and she had a sense of fashion"(460).

Their mother is manlike and not very attractive. She built Dee into the "model child." Maggie is not a very attracti


The attitude of the mother towards Dee limits her happiness. The description of Dee reading to them, "Her eyelids would not flicker for minutes at a time. Often I fought off the temptation to fight her, and again when she shoved us away...like dimwits"(460). It is also pointed out that Dee is self-centered and selfish because she has to have everything new or cannot take anything that looks old and gross while Maggie is very caring and giving. Maggie will take anything that is given to her. If there was a dress that had holes in it and looked old, she would wear it and appreciate it, while, on the other hand, Dee would snub her nose at it and ask for a new one.

In the end the mother realizes her daughters are okay the way they are. She co

Some common words found in the essay are:
Johnny Carson459, Dee Dee, , Dee Maggie's, Dee Sometimes, girl dee,

Approximate Word count = 501
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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