"everyday use” by alice walker

Appearing in “ Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, the mother evidently recognizes the birthright symbolized in the churn and the quilts; same as the thought of Maggie.

Those things, they believe, corresponds to a custom wherein the community live with what they possess, indicating the potency in relating with one’s precedent. The exquisiteness in such matters appears from their functions on a daily basis and the reminiscences those suggest. Both the churn and quilts symbolize heritage yet they take them differently in terms of the approaches.

According to the author, as cited by McMichael and Leonard in 2006, Dee, who turned her name to Wangero supposes that her Mama and her sister Maggie must discard their rearward lifestyle (2108).

This insinuates giving up quilt creation, her kin memoirs and delight of the country life. She views not a bit of this as precious and deems that her existence, with her education at hand, is better than anyone’s lives. This blindness is implied by the sunglasses that she uses: “ She put on some sunglasses that hid everything above the tip of her nose and her chin.” (2111).

At the same page it can be observed an added sarcasm that Wangero castigates Mama and Maggie for not “ making something of themselves” while it is they who have lived their lives in a wonderful way by means of their individual hard work, whereas Dee has made something of herself owing to the labors of the people she has browbeaten and held in contempt.

Formerly, she casted off and detested their home and her prior environment (2106); however at the present, she wants to get hold of the grease churn to provide as a pleasing to the eye showpiece and quilts and to make them into abstraction.

In the end, it can be said that Maggie is the one favored by the author since she is a creator of art, an important person whose heritage has been applied in practicable dexterity and not just merely a user. The author pities Dee with all her hatred in her heart, eventhough she obtained education. For that reason, she missed out the very essence of life.

Reference:

McMichael, George and Leonard, James S. (2006). Concise Anthology of American Literature,

Sixth Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, 2105-2111.