ALice Walker's Everyday Use
In Alice Walker's short story, "Everyday Use" tells about a poor family living in a ran down house. In the family, was a mother and two daughters all three having different views of heritage. Mama is a simple woman who can appear to be a country woman shows that heritage is done by living and doing simple things in life, Maggie is the shy passive sister that is similar to Mama in her simple way of life but she remembers the meaning of heritage. Dee is a college-attending student learning about heritage. Dee is stylish and outspoken. She tends to view heritage with an art deco attitude...stylish and trendy.Mama life has been spent working. Working hard in every sense of the word. She worked hard to give to her daughter the chances in life that she never had. Mama is a country woman big, strong, and self sufficient: I am a large, big boned woman with rough, man-working hands. In the winter I wear flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day. I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man. My fat keeps me hot in zero weather. I can work outside all day, breaking ice to get water for washing; I can eat pork even cooked over the open fire minutes after it comes steaming from the hog. (Walker 174)
Dee has been a woman with a "style of her own" (175) ever since she was a little girl. She is the lighter skinned, has nice hair, and a full figure. When Dee comes home for her visit she is wearing a long dress, numerous pieces of jewelry, and sandals. Mama comment on her neat feet (176) shows how Dee has physically taken care of the outside person. When Dee changed her name that was significance to her to symbolize her attitude about one's culture and heritage. It seems to reflect a flashy and artificial person who thinks she has sophistication but Dee disregards the importance of her name, and the heritage from it. Mama is upset when Dee does not listen and understand whom she was named after. "You know as well as me you was named after you Aunt Dicie" (177) She tells her family that name Dee was oppressing her (177). Before she went away to college, the quilts were not good enough for her. In a similar was to Mama 's simple life, Maggie, the daughter living still at home, is portrayed with the knowledge of heritage. Like Mama, she is not physically attractive or stylish. Her body is covered with burn scars and her walking is described like that of a lame dog (174-175). Maggie is homely. Maggie actually knows the family history and akin to Mama, posses skills that have been passed down through the family. Maggie has a great memory. She recalls the full history of
Some common words found in the essay are:
Alice Walker's, Dee Dee, Aunt Dicie, Aunt Dee's, Mama Walker, Maggie Dee, Grandma Dee, heritage mama, simple life, GRADE A-, view heritage, mama 's, maggie dee, culture heritage, country woman, dee quilts, meaning heritage, similar mama, simple life maggie,
Approximate Word count = 939
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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