Everyday Use by Alice Walker

Alice Walker published her story, “Everyday Use” in 1973 as part of her collection of short stories, In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women. The story has gained widespread popularity and is often included in high school and college literature classes. It follows a mother and her two daughters, Maggie and Dee, as they navigate their relationships with each other and their heritage. Dee, who has changed her name to Wangero, embraces her African heritage, while Maggie remains rooted in their family’s rural Southern traditions. The story explores themes of identity, heritage, and the intricate relationships between mothers and daughters.

Main Events in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

1. Mama and Maggie await Dee’s arrival at their rural home, symbolizing the arrival of modernity and cultural differences into their traditional lifestyle. The anticipation of this arrival sets the stage for the exploration of identity and heritage throughout the story.
2. Dee’s immediate focus on capturing photographs of Mama’s house and possessions exemplifies her perspective as a tourist, viewing Mama’s life and possessions as objects to be collected and displayed for her own consumption. The arrival of Dee’s boyfriend, Hakim-a-barber, further emphasizes the external forces that have influenced Dee’s identity and perspectives.
3. Dee expresses her desire to take Mama’s old possessions, including handmade quilts, to use as decoration in her own home. This request highlights the differing values and attitudes toward heritage and material possessions between Mama and Dee.
4. Mama reflects on her past and the significance of the house that her family has lived in for generations, emphasizing the importance of history and tradition in her identity.
5. Mama and Maggie recall a traumatic event in their past, a house fire that left Maggie with scars on her body. This shared experience further emphasizes the connection between Mama and Maggie, as well as their bond to the physical and emotional history of their home.
6. Dee’s criticism of Mama and Maggie’s lifestyle and perceived lack of connection to their African heritage highlights the tension between modernity and tradition, as well as the complexity of individual identity and cultural inheritance.
7. Mama and Maggie prepare a traditional meal for Dee and Hakim-a-barber, emphasizing the value of familial traditions and shared experiences.
8. Dee’s request to take the handmade quilts made by Mama and her grandmother illustrates the differing perspectives on the value and significance of familial heritage and cultural artifacts.
9. Dee becomes upset and leaves after Mama insists on giving the quilts to Maggie instead. It highlighting the tension and division caused by differing perspectives on identity and cultural inheritance.
10. The story concludes with Mama and Maggie sitting outside, reflecting on their simple way of life and the memories and traditions that they continue to cherish, symbolizing the importance of personal and cultural history in shaping individual identity.

Literary Devices in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

1. Allusion: An indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of literature.

Example: Dee (Wangero) wants to ask questions and to be considered for a scholarship to attend school in Augusta (Paragraph 16).

2. Characterization: The way an author reveals the personality of a character.

Example: “Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs” (Paragraph 10).

3. Conflict: A struggle between opposing forces.

Example: The conflict between Dee and Mama over the quilts.

4. Dialogue: Conversation between characters.

Example: “She wrote me once that no matter where we “choose” to live, she will manage to come see us. But she will never bring her friends” (Paragraph 30).

5. Foreshadowing: A hint or clue about what will happen later in the story.

Example: “When I looked at her like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet” (Paragraph 9).

6. Imagery: The use of descriptive language to create a mental image.

Example: “Her feet were always neat-looking, as if God himself had shaped them with a certain style” (Paragraph 3).

7. Irony: A contrast between expectation and reality.

Example: Dee changes her name to “Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo” to embrace her African heritage, but she fails to appreciate the significance of her family’s quilts.

8. Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things.

Example: “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts!” (Paragraph 58).

9. Motif: A recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story.

Example: Quilts are a motif in “Everyday Use,” symbolizing heritage and family.

10. Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things.

Example: “A yard like this is more comfortable than most people’s living rooms” (Paragraph 1).

11. Point of view: The perspective from which a story is told.

Example: “Everyday Use” is told from Mama’s point of view.

12. Setting: The time and place in which a story takes place.

Example: “Everyday Use” is set in the rural South in the 1960s.

13. Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as.”

Example: “Like somebody used to never winning anything, or having anything reserved for her” (Paragraph 23).

14. Symbolism: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

Example: The quilts are a symbol of heritage and family tradition.

15. Theme: The underlying message or meaning in a story.

Example: One theme in “Everyday Use” is the importance of understanding and valuing one’s heritage.

Characterization in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

The major characters in “Everyday Use” are:

1. Mama (the narrator): She is a hardworking, practical woman who values family and tradition over material possessions.
2. Dee (Wangero): She is Mama’s older daughter who has changed her name to reflect her African heritage. Dee is educated and ambitious but often clashes with her family over their perceived lack of cultural awareness.
3. Maggie: She is Mama’s younger daughter who is less educated than Dee but possesses a deep understanding of their family’s traditions and heritage. Maggie is shy and has physical scars from a house fire.

The minor characters in the story are:

1. Hakim-a-Barber: He is Dee’s boyfriend who also has African heritage. He is presented as an outsider to the family’s traditions and beliefs.
2. Grandma Dee: She is Dee’s namesake and Mama’s mother. She is mentioned briefly in the story but represents the family’s heritage and traditions.
3. John Thomas: He is briefly mentioned in the story as a potential love interest for Dee, but it is unclear if he is a real person or a figment of Dee’s imagination.

Major Themes in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

1. The Importance of Cultural Heritage: The story highlights the importance of preserving cultural heritage and passing it on to future generations. Mama values the practical items that have been passed down in her family and sees them as a tangible connection to her ancestors. However, Dee is more interested in the abstract idea of heritage and wants to use it to express her own identity. This theme is exemplified in Mama’s description of their yard: “It is not just a yard. It is like an extended living room.”
2. The Tension Between Tradition and Modernity: The story also explores the tension between traditional ways of life and modernity. Dee represents the modern, educated, and upwardly mobile woman who has rejected her family’s traditional lifestyle. Mama, on the other hand, and Maggie represent the older generation who have not had the same opportunities for education and advancement. This tension is evident in Dee’s desire to take the quilts and other items that Mama sees as practical, everyday objects.
3. The Importance of Self-Definition: The story also deals with the importance of self-definition and how it relates to cultural heritage. Dee wants to define herself in terms of her African heritage, but Mama and Maggie see themselves as part of a broader cultural heritage that includes their ancestors and their community. This story highlights this theme in Dee’s rejection of her given name and her choice of the African name “Wangero” instead.
4. The Value of Family: The story underscores the value of family and the bonds that tie people together. Mama and Maggie have a close relationship. And this relationship is based on shared experiences and a deep understanding of their family’s traditions, while Dee’s relationship with them is more distant and strained. This story exemplifies this theme in Mama’s refusal to let Dee take the quilts: “I promised to give them quilts to Maggie, for when she married John Thomas. She was to marry him yesterday.”

Writing Style in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

In “Everyday Use,” Alice Walker’s writing style demonstrates a straightforward and descriptive narrative that is rich in vivid imagery and sensory details. Walker’s use of dialect and regional language adds an authentic and down-to-earth feel to the story, while also highlighting the cultural and social background of the characters. The author also employs symbolism and metaphor to convey deeper meanings and themes, such as the significance of heritage and the tension between tradition and modernity. Overall, Walker’s writing style in “Everyday Use” is engaging, thought-provoking, and evocative, capturing the essence of the African American experience in a rural setting.

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

1. Feminist Theory: “Everyday Use” highlights the struggles of Black women in a patriarchal society. Mama and Maggie represent traditional, domestic roles, while Dee represents a more modern, independent woman. Through these characters, Walker explores the challenges faced by Black women as they navigate conflicting ideas of femininity and cultural heritage.
2. Marxist Theory: The story highlights issues of class and power. Dee represents the upwardly mobile middle class, while Mama and Maggie represent the working-class. The tension between these classes is highlighted by Dee’s desire to appropriate her family’s cultural heritage, while ignoring the practical items that Mama and Maggie value.
3. Postcolonial Theory: “Everyday Use” explores the ways in which cultural identity is constructed and contested in a postcolonial world. Dee’s rejection of her given name and adoption of an African name reflects the desire to reclaim cultural identity that is often experienced by people of color in a postcolonial context.
4. Reader-Response Theory: The story can also be interpreted through a reader-response lens, as it invites readers to engage with their own experiences and perspectives. The ambiguous ending, in which Mama and Maggie sit in the yard watching Dee drive away, leaves open the possibility of multiple interpretations and encourages readers to actively participate in the meaning-making process.
5. Psychological Theory: “Everyday Use” can also be analyzed through a psychological lens, as it explores issues of self-esteem and identity. Dee’s rejection of her family’s cultural heritage can be seen as a reflection of her own insecurities and desire to distance herself from her working-class background.
6. Structuralist Theory: The story it explores the ways in which cultural symbols and myths shape our understanding of the world. The quilts that Mama and Maggie value can be seen as symbols of cultural heritage, while Dee’s rejection of them represents a rejection of traditional values and beliefs. This tension between symbols and their meaning is a central theme of the story.

Questions and Thesis Statements about “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

1. What is the significance of the quilts in “Everyday Use,” and how do they represent the tension between traditional cultural heritage and modern individualism?

Thesis statement: Through the use of the quilts as a symbol, Walker explores the tension between preserving cultural heritage and embracing individualism, ultimately suggesting that a balance between the two is necessary for a healthy cultural identity.

• How does the character of Dee challenge traditional notions of Black femininity in “Everyday Use,” and what is the significance of this challenge?

Thesis statement: Through Dee’s rejection of traditional gender roles and embrace of a more independent lifestyle, Walker challenges traditional notions of Black femininity and highlights the difficulties faced by Black women as they navigate conflicting expectations of femininity and cultural heritage.

• What is the role of education in “Everyday Use,” and how does it affect the characters’ relationships to their cultural heritage?

Thesis statement: By exploring the relationship between education and cultural identity, Walker suggests that education can either facilitate the preservation of cultural heritage or lead to a rejection of it, depending on how it is approached.

• How does the conflict between Mama and Dee in “Everyday Use” reflect larger tensions between different generations of Black Americans?

Thesis statement: Through the conflict between Mama and Dee, Walker highlights the tension between traditional values and modern individualism in the Black community, ultimately suggesting that a balance between the two is necessary for a healthy cultural identity.

• What is the significance of the setting of “Everyday Use,” and how does it contribute to the story’s themes?

Thesis statement: By setting the story in a rural Southern community, Walker highlights the importance of cultural heritage and the tension between preserving it and embracing modernity, ultimately suggesting that a balance between the two is necessary for a healthy cultural identity.

• How does the ending of “Everyday Use” reflect the story’s central themes of cultural heritage and individualism?

Thesis statement: Through the ambiguous ending, Walker invites readers to engage with the tension between cultural heritage and individualism and suggests that a resolution between the two is not always possible, but that it is important to strive for a balance between the two.

Short Question-Answer “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

1. How does the character of Mama view her cultural heritage in “Everyday Use”?

Mama values her cultural heritage and sees it as an integral part of her identity. She has a deep appreciation for the practical items passed down through her family, such as the churn top and dasher she uses to make butter. When Dee wants to take these items to display as artifacts, Mama initially hesitates, feeling that they belong in their everyday use. For Mama, preserving her cultural heritage means keeping it alive through continued use, rather than just showcasing it as a relic of the past.

• What does Dee’s rejection of her given name and embrace of African names in “Everyday Use” reveal about her character?

Dee’s rejection of her given name and embrace of African names shows her desire to reject the cultural heritage she grew up with in favor of a more idealized African identity. The story shows this rejection in her criticism of her family’s rural lifestyle and her desire to display cultural artifacts as art objects, rather than functional items. For Dee, embracing her African heritage means rejecting the more traditional and practical aspects of her upbringing.

• How does the conflict between Dee and Maggie in “Everyday Use” reflect the larger themes of the story?

The conflict between Dee and Maggie reflects the larger tension between cultural heritage and individualism. Dee’s desire to display the family’s quilts as art objects reflects her desire to claim ownership of her cultural heritage and express her individual identity. Maggie, on the other hand, wants to preserve the quilts for their traditional purpose of warmth and comfort. The conflict between the sisters highlights the tension between preserving cultural heritage and embracing individual identity.

• What is the significance of the quilts in “Everyday Use” and how do they relate to the larger themes of the story?

The quilts are a central symbol in the story and represent the family’s cultural heritage. They also represent the tension between preserving cultural heritage and embracing individualism. Dee wants to take the quilts and display them as art objects, while Maggie wants to preserve them for their traditional purpose of warmth and comfort. The quilts ultimately become a point of conflict between the sisters and highlight the tension between preserving cultural heritage and embracing individual identity. The fact that the quilts are made from pieces of the family’s clothing also emphasizes the importance of the family’s history and legacy in preserving their cultural heritage.