Everyday_Use

Everyday Use “Everyday Use,” a short story written in the first person perspective by Alice Walker, was first published in 1973. This story takes place in rural Georgia, during the early 1970s. Walker uses narration to show, I think, the black woman’s dilemma about how to face the future – whether to continue as her ancestors or become involved in the contemporary world. She does use symbolism, i.e. the contested quilt, yet I am going to focus on the characters themselves – the mother, Maggie, and Dee. In short, the story centers on an educated farm girl, Dee, who went to the big city for college and assimilated into modern society. She then returns for a visit to her old-fashioned mother and sister. Dee expects to take some of the old hand-made items particularly some quilts, with to her to display for her “enlightened” friends. However, Dee’s mother finally asserts herself with her daughter and firmly says no, that Maggie would be better suited to have them. The most developed character of the story is the Mother, who describes herself as a “big-boned woman” who can “kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man” story, dee, mother, maggie, house, yet, sister, quilts, old, herself, about, woman, while, walker, person, past, much, items, friends, first, even, dee’s, daughter, character, burned, being, ways, think, things, take, society, short, self-esteem, say