Individuals are who they are as a direct result of their past. The past is the foundation upon which people’s future is built, and this is seen in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” about two sisters, Dee and Maggie, and their Mama. Dee, fortunately, was able to get a fancy education in the city with the support of her church, and reach a financially stable position, unlike her rural and traditional Mama and sister Maggie. In an attempt to connect to her past, she tries to gather traditional heirlooms and belongings, such as a quilt to showcase, but faces resistance from her family with differing values. Alice Walker, in her short story “Everyday Use”, applies indirect characterization through appearance, uses a vitriolic tone, and has Maggie act as a foil in order to portray Dee as a flamboyant, bitter, and an assertive character, all to glorify the rural and traditional character of Mama and Maggie.
To start with, the financially stable Dee is a very showy and flamboyant character, which Walker depicts through her appearance. Walker describes Dee with a “dress down to the ground, in this hot weather. A dress so loud it hurts my eyes.” (79). In this description, the audience realizes that Dee is very ostentatious because despite the hot summer, Dee is wearing a long dress.
This also tells the audience that Dee prioritizes fashion over comfort, since she willingly wears such a long dress to the ground in the hot weather. In addition, the type of clothing further depicts her character trait. Walker depicts her dress as too loud, meaning it is very unique and fancy, telling the audience she must be rich. The uniqueness and fanciness also describes Dee herself because Dee also has been very grand in portraying her personality, similar to her dress. Furthermore, Walker depicts Dee with”..Earrings gold, too, hanging down to her shoulders”(80). She decides to wear golden earrings which are longer than necessary to the poverty stricken rural Georgia.
The fact that Dee wore long golden earrings down to her shoulder shows her desire to show off her success to even her poor family. This makes the reader feel a bit of sympathy, who compared to Dee, clearly are seen as poor. This also makes the audience feel hatred towards Dee and views her as a villain who is present in the setting only to show off and make others feel inferior and poor compared to her.
This creates a bit of sympathy for Maggie and Mama, who are portrayed in the oppressed setting. In addition to dislikeness for the flamboyant Dee expressed through appearence, Walker establishes her as a bitter character, creating more discontentedness for Dee and more respect for Maggie and Mama. Throughout the book, Walker obviously displays Dee as a bitter character through the use of a vitriolic tone. One example of such is when Mama describes the way Dee reads as “read[ing] without pity, forcing words, lies, other folk’s habits, whole lives upon us two, sitting trapped and ignorant underneath” (79).
Walker, through Mama, uses strong words such as forcing and trapped in order to show the effect of Dee’s voice on Mama and Maggie. The fact that Dee has the ability to read without pity makes her seem heartless. Also, the statement that Mama felt that whole lives were being told to them two shows that she is overwhelmed by Dee, showing the audience that Dee herself is very overwhelming and strong. Furthermore, Dee is said to have “burned us with a lot of knowledge” (79). By writing that Dee was burning Maggie and Mama, Walker has the reader literally imagine Dee actually burning the two characters alive.
This image again portrays Dee as atrocious, and this affects the reader because the audience starts to share the same contemptuous view the narrator has towards Dee. By using the vitriolic tone established through negative wording, Maggie and Mama are seen as being oppressed and forced to submit to Dee, which makes Dee look evil and a torturer. Another tool utilized by Walker is setting Maggie as the foil of Dee, with contradicting values. Walker communicates through Dee that Maggie “probably be backward enough to put them [the quilt] to everyday use”” (82). This portrays Maggie as a rural character, who owns the minimal and uses all her belongings as an instrument to help in survival.
For her, the quilt is a form of cover. Also, that fact that this dialogue is coming from Dee shows that Dee is very inconsiderate of other’s feelings and disrespectful to her sister, as she rudely snatches the quilt for the purpose to ” ‘hang them’” (82). The reality that Dee wants to hang the quilt shows that Dee would want the quilt for the purpose of decoration. This shows her perspective on tradition, which she believes should be showcased, rather than lived. It also tells that audience, as stated earlier, that Dee prioritizes fashion and showcasing. Another example of Maggie being a foil is that Maggie is a character that “stand[s] helplessly in the corners, homely, and ashamed” (77).
This uncovers the lack of confidence in Maggie, who is still not completely over the trauma of her house burning down. Maggie is a character who is defeated and ashamed of herself, clearly lacking self esteem. Because of this, the audience starts to sympathize for Maggie, who has lost herself somewhere in the fire that burned down their house.
This is the exact opposite of Dee herself, who is “determined to stare down any disaster in her efforts” (79). This exhibits Dee as a very confident character, and the fact that she can stare down any problem shows that Dee has the strength to fight any complications that come in her way with her strong will power. When these two character are put next to each other in front of the audience, the reader realizes the world of difference between the two sisters, and how far apart the two sisters are. However, because Maggie is portrayed as weak and fragile compared to Dee, who seems to dominate, the audience starts to pity Maggie and house negative feelings for Dee. By the end of Walker’s “Everyday Use,” Dee, the face of urban and affluent culture, is defamed in order to praise rural and poverty through Maggie and Mama.
Today, though people see poverty as a negative thing, poverty is, from a perspective, the path through which people become thankful and appreciative of the little things in life that seem to be lost in this fast and growing world. People now require speed in order to survive in this kind of world and in this chaos to create a brighter future, many have lost their pasts, the way Dee did once she left for college in pursuit of a brighter and a better future. Dee, who on the surface may have seen Mama and Maggie suffering in poverty, may actually have missed the fact that their poverty is a gift that has taught Mama and Maggie to be independent and content with the little they have in their peaceful and poverty stricken rural Georgia.
An Analysis Of The Lost Heritage In Alice Walker’s Everyday Use
By contrasting the family characters in “Everyday Use,”Walker illustrates the mistake by some of placing thesignificance of heritage solely in material objects. Walkerpresents Mama and Maggie, the younger daughter, as an examplethat heritage in both knowledge and form passes from onegeneration to another through a learning and experienceconnection. However, by a broken connection, Dee, the olderdaughter, represents a misconception of heritage as material. During Dee’s visit to Mama and Maggie, the contrast of thecharacters becomes a conflict because Dee misplaces thesignificance of heritage in her desire for racial heritage.
Mama and Maggie symbolize the connection between generationsand the heritage that passed between them. Mama and Maggiecontinue to live together in their humble home. Mama is a robustwoman who does the needed upkeep of the land, I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands. In the winter, I wear overalls during the day.
I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man. I can work outside all day, One winter I knocked a bull calf straight in the brain with a sledge hammer and had the meat hung up to chill before nightfall. (Walker 289)And Maggie is the daughter, “homely and ashamed of the burn scarsdown her arms and legs,” (Walker 288) who helps Mama by making”the yard so clean and wavy” (Walker 288) and washes dishes “inthe kitchen over the dishpan” (Walker 293). Neither Mama norMaggie are ‘modernly’ educated persons; “I [Mama] never had aneducation myself. Sometimes Maggie reads to me.
She stumblesalong good-naturedly She knows she is not bright” (Walker 290). However, by helping Mama, Maggie uses the hand-made items in herlife, experiences the life of her ancestors, and learns thehistory of both, exemplified by Maggie’s knowledge of the hand-made items and the people who made them–a knowledge which Deedoes not possess. Contrasting with Mama and Maggie, Dee seeks her heritagewithout understanding the heritage itself. Unlike Mama who isrough and man-like, and Maggie who is shy and scared, Dee isconfident, where “Hesitation is no part of her nature,” (Walker289) and beautiful: ” first glimpse of leg out of the car tells me it is Dee. Her feet were always neat-looking, as if God had shaped them Dee next. A dress down to the ground
Earrings gold, too (Walker 291)Also, Dee has a ‘modern’ education, having been sent “to a schoolin Augusta” (Walker 290). Dee attempts to connect with her racialheritage by taking “picture after picture of me sitting there in front of the house with Maggie She never takes a shot without making sure the house is included” (Walker 291).
Dee takes an another name without understanding her originalname; neither does Dee try to learn. Also, Dee takes some of thehand-made items of her mother’s such as the churn top which shewill use “as a centerpiece for the alcove table” (Walker 293). Dee associates the items with her heritage now, but thoughtnothing of them in her youth as when the first house burnt down. Dee’s quest of her heritage is external, wishing to have thesevarious items in order to display them in her home. Dee wants theitems because she perceives each to have value, as shown in thedialog between Dee and Mama about the quilts after dinner.
Dee’s valuing of the quilt conflicts with Mama’s perceptionof the quilts. Dee considers the quilt priceless because thequilt is hand-stitched, not machined, by saying, “There are allpieces of dresses Grandma used to wear. She did all thisstitching by hand. Imagine!” (Walker 294). Dee plans to displaythe quilts or “Hang them,” (Walker 294) unlike Maggie who may”put them to everyday use” (Walker 294). However, Mama “promisedto give them quilts to Maggie, for when she marries ” (Walker294). Mama knows there exists a connection of heritage in Maggie; Mama knows that “It was Grandma Dee and Big Dee who taught[Maggie] how to quilt” (Walker 294).
Because of Maggie’sconnection, Mama takes the quilts from Dee who “held the quiltssecurely in her arms, stroking them clutching them closely toher bosom” (Walker 294) like sacred idols, and then gives them toMaggie. After Mama gives Maggie the quilts, Dee says, “You justdon’t understand Your heritage” (Walker 295). Dee believesheritage to be the quilt on the wall or the churn in the alcove. Dee knows the items are hand-made but not the knowledge andhistory behind the items. Yet, Mama does know the knowledge and history and knows that Maggie does too. Ironically, Deecriticizes Mama for not understanding heritage when, in fact, Deefails to really understand heritage. Dee mistakenly placesheritage wholly in what she owns, not what she knows.
Quilt: A Symbol In Alice Walker’s Everyday Use
The significance of a quilt extends beyond a mere object; it represents the legacy of multiple generations within a family. Moreover, a quilt can become a mesmerizing work of art adorning the entrance hall of one’s home, delicately suspended on the wall through an artistic frame. Additionally, a quilt serves the practical purpose of providing warmth during chilly nights. Alice Walker, having experienced the Civil Rights movement firsthand during her early twenties, possesses a profound understanding of the true essence of heritage. In the late 1960s, she embarked on her writing journey, sharing fictional tales and poetry. In her story “Everyday Use,” Walker skillfully employs conflicting symbols, a maternal perspective, and a southern backdrop to convey the contrasting interpretations of cherishing heritage and maintaining traditions.
The theme of Walker’s story revolves around symbols with different meanings for different characters. This is seen in the conflict between tangible objects and their roles in culture and heritage, which appears multiple times throughout the story. Mama Johnson sees Dee’s original name as a symbol of family unity (Ross 3). Furthermore, she traces the name Dee back through generations beyond the Civil War (Walker 611). Mama treasures the name Dee because it has been passed down through generations and belongs to beloved individuals (Ross 3). In contrast, Dee views her name as a burden and a reminder of the hardships her ancestors endured, which she herself will not experience. This is evident when she expresses her frustration with her mother’s reaction to her name change, stating, “I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me” (Walker 611). While Mama sees the name as a symbol of family unity, Dee perceives it as a connection to a past that she does not identify with.
The quilts serve as functional scrapbooks for the Johnson family. They contain pieces of Grandma’s dresses (Walker 612) as well as a scrap from Great Grandpa Ezra’s Civil War uniform (Ross 4). Dee wishes to display the quilts, using them as a means to showcase her sophistication and success (Cowart 4). However, Aunt Dicie designates the quilts to Maggie, which displeases Dee. Dee believes that Maggie will simply use them in everyday life (Walker 612). Maggie, on the other hand, knows how to create the quilts and understands that using and recreating the objects and techniques of their ancestors is the true meaning of heritage and tradition for her and Mama. In contrast, for Dee, heritage encompasses everything that has occurred in the past, and she desires to preserve it on a wall for all to see (Walker 612).
Throughout the story, Mama’s point of view is characterized by her simple and loyal feelings towards her heritage and cultural background. She takes great pride in who she is, describing herself as a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands and acknowledging that she never had an education (Walker 609). Mama is not afraid to embrace her identity, which extends to her appreciation for her cultural heritage. She emphasizes that she can trace her family name back past the Civil War, revealing her genuine concern for her family’s history (Walker 609). The presence of handmade objects in the house further demonstrates the importance of family connections and everyday traditions (Walker 612). In contrast, Dee’s youth and arrogance result in a disconnect from her own roots and a superficial connection to the outside world. At the end of the story, Mama and Maggie showcase their genuine appreciation for family time by sitting outside, dipping snuff, and enjoying the remainder of the evening (Walker 612). Mama’s perspective on heritage provides a more realistic and authentic approach.
The old, tin-roofed house in late 1960s Georgia depicts conflicting views on heritage and family value. Despite not being considered a nice house, the yard is well maintained and serves as an extended living room (Walker 608). According to Dave Cowart, the yard symbolizes the cultural something created by those who lacked everything (Cowart 4). This portrayal accurately represents the appearance of the South. The love for homes and family is evident even in difficult situations. The hard clay, swept clean like a floor, highlights the absence of breezes inside the house (Walker 608). Mama values everything her ancestors created, utilizing items like the butter churn, dasher, and quilts. Maggie carries on the traditions of southern heritage by making new quilts from dresses worn by future family members.
In Everyday Use, the theme of contradicting views on heritage is conveyed through various symbolic meanings, a proud point-of-view, and the rural Georgia setting. Although the quilts and names passed down through generations may appear insignificant at first glance, they hold immense meaning. Mama Johnson, the proud and loyal matriarch, ensures that the spirit of family and cultural heritage remains alive. Set in mid-60s rural Georgia, the story depicts a daughter’s desire for new experiences conflicting with her mother’s attempts to preserve traditional family values. This theme is skillfully presented, inviting discussions about the significance of heritage in individual lives.