Introduction to Mother in “Everyday Use”
Exactly like the mother in “Everyday Use”, every mother is a universal character; always full of passion, love, affection, and emotions for all of her children. Her sense of justice lives in her heart. She treats all of her children equally with no prejudice or bias of color, deformity, education, or status. However, sometimes, it happens that even mothers neglect one child and prefer another, and it seems from the character of the mother in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker that mama is tilting towards her educated daughter Dee in the first half of the story, and to deformed daughter Maggie in the later half, but on close reading, it is revealed that this is not the case. She is quite fair in her treatment of both of them equally without having any inclination toward any one of them. Her fair treatment is based on her understanding of the situation of each girl, their overall behavior toward her and the home, and their attitude toward the family and family heritage.
Character of Mother in “Everyday Use”
This anonymous character of mama or mother in “Everyday Use”, is highly caring about both of her daughters, as she prepares her home to welcome Dee. She also takes care of Maggie on account of her accidental injury and bleak future prospects. Mother knows that she cannot do well like Dee. With her “burn scars” (Walker 443), she can only see her sister with “envy and awe” (445). She has suffered these injuries during a fire in the house around ten or twelve years earlier whereas Dee is “Maggie [has] nice hair and fuller figure” (444) which means a good future. It is also that, as contrary to Dee who got a chance to study in a school in Augusta with the help of her mother and church, Maggie did not have this golden chance. “Like good looks and money, quickness passed by her” (445), mother says, and she knows that contrary to her the situation of Dee is totally different, as she is not only quick and sharp but also has “a style of her own” (445). And she “knew what style was” (445). Whereas Maggie is a shy girl, always hiding her face somewhere, “hesitation was no part of her nature” (444) of Dee who was quite advanced in her ideas of marriage as well, as her previous boyfriend Jimmy T “flew to marry a cheap city girl” (445) and also that she might not have married to the present dandy Hakim-e-barber. However, Maggie has to marry John Thomas, who “has mossy teeth” (445). Therefore, it is a realization on the part of her mother that she can go ahead in her life on account of her education, her situation, and her sharpness. However, as Maggie has no bright prospects, her mother has to take care of her and hence greater care of her.
Mother-Daughter Conflict in “Everyday Use”
As far as behavior toward the mother and the home is concerned, Maggie is living within the home comprising three huts and a yard. She is dependent on her mother. She always turns to her in case of any help or needs or if she is to ask a question, and even in the case of marriage. It is on account of her disfigurement due to burns she suffered during the fire. Whenever she needs something or is to ask something like “how do I look, Mama?” (444), she turns to her mother for this. Even when she “makes a dash for the door” (445) to see Dee coming, mother calls and she comes back immediately. This obedience makes the mother love her even more. However, the case of Dee is highly different. She is not only condescending due to her education but also insolent toward her mother. Even during her dreams, the mother sees that there might be a “curse and insult” (444) during a television program as she thinks of her daughter’s arrival. Contrary to Maggie, Dee wants her mother to be “hundred pond lighter” (445) and should make her hair “glisten” (445). She has been forcing “words, lies, other folks’ habits” (445) and several other things on them, that they do not need. She has not even consulted her mother in case of her marriage or no marriage with “Assalamoalaikum” (446). To top it all, she has changed her name, and “every once in a while he and Wangero sent eye signals over [her] head” (446). It means that mama knows that she is making fun of their poverty. That is why she feels more love for Maggie than Dee because of her behavior.
Family and Mother in “Everyday Use”
Another important argument is her behavior towards the family, family heritage, and familial bonds. As Maggie is living within the home and knows everything, there are no questions about her behavior. However, Dee has taken not only her home but also her full family heritage just a relic to decorate in some drawing room. Instead of loving them and keeping them with her to improve their conditions, she looks down upon them as “she will never bring her friends” (445). When she reaches home, she receives a warm welcome, but she is behaving as if it is some museum for her. She is getting one or the other thing “This churn top is what I need” (447) and “I want the dasher” (447) because she thinks it is “something artistic to do with the dasher” but she does not know that it is for them an object of everyday use. Even she is against remembering the names of all of her great-grandparents, as she would have to count them “up to Civil War” (447). She also rummages through the trunk without the permission of mama, and then asks her to get the quilts that mama says that she has made for Maggie to use in the future. However, she belittles Maggie saying, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts”. Contrary to her, mama sees something spiritual in Maggie due to her innocence instead of Dee, who is merely pretentious. Therefore, she pays more attention to Maggie.
Conclusion
In nutshell, it is the sense of fairness of mother in “Everyday Use” shows that she treats both of her daughters equally but seems to tilting toward Maggie because of her situation, her behavior, and overall behavior towards the family. It also shows a sort of mother-daughter conflict in “Everyday Use”. Although Dee is educated and sophisticated, she is also clever contrary to Maggie, who has more of spirituality in her. It seems that she might be prejudiced against Dee but this is not the case. She clearly knows that she can live on her own, as she has got another young man after the escape of the first one, but Maggie walks like a “lame animal” (445) who obviously cannot live such a fast life without the help of mama. Mother knows that she has spent on Dee more than she has done for Maggie. Therefore, she pays more attention to Maggie in order to compensate for the shortcomings she has developed on account of neglect in the case of education. Otherwise, she is quite fair to both of them. It is also that Maggie is highly respectful and depends on her while Dee thinks of herself a creature of some other star instead of her daughter. Therefore, she does receive treatment like Maggie, as Maggie is a part of her home but Dee has left it by changing her name.
Works Cited
Walker, Alice. “Everyday Use.” An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. Ed. Kennedy X. J. & Dana Gioia. 3rd ed. Vol. 10. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 444-449. Print.
Relevant Questions about Mother in “Everyday Use”
- How does the character of the Mother in “Everyday Use” perceive her role as a mother, and how does this perception influence her interactions with her daughters in “Everyday Use”?
- What is the significance of the mother-daughter conflict in “Everyday Use”and how does it shape the central conflict surrounding heritage and identity in “Everyday Use”?
- How does the Mother in “Everyday Use” represent traditional values and heritage, and how do her beliefs and actions impact the way she navigates the conflict between Dee and Maggie in “Everyday Use”?
