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Alice Walkers "Everyday Use" shows how each member of the Johnson's family chooses a different path according to the circumstances in each of their lives. The Johnson's live in the rural south where they are forced to depend on their land and livestock to survive. Although Mrs. Johnson is uneducated, she does everything possible to provide for her two daughters. Ironically, each girl looks at their heritage differently. One has a realistic view that accepts both the positive and the negative aspects. The other chooses only to embrace the positive. Walker uses the mother's point of view to illustrate the disparity between two sisters' views of their heritage.
Mrs. Johnson describes herself as a "big-boned women with rough, man-working hands" (115). One night she killed a bull calf between the eyes with a sledge hammer and "had the meat hung up to chill before the nightfall" (115). She is a mother of two daughters, Maggie and Dee. The story begins with Maggie and Mama Johnson waiting in their yard made of hard clay they had cleaned for Dee. Mama is not only waiting for Dee's arrival but she is waiting for Dee's approval. Mama tells us she dreams of redemption from her oldest daughter. The dream takes place on Johnny Carson's show where Dee and Mama reunite embracing each other with tears. From this dream we learn about how Mama's views Dee's attitude toward her. She says she was "the way my daughter would want me to be a hundred pounds lighter, my skin like an uncooked barely pancake. My hair glistening" (115). Mama is not only saying she desires to be respected by her daughter, but the dream shows us she is not moving out of the way she has always lived since she hasn't changed her physical appearance or culture behavior. Mama believes she has a certain place in society compared to the white people. When approaching whites she says "my head turned in whichever way is farthest from them" (115). Her oldest daughter however, "would always look anyone in the eye. Hesitation was no part of her nature" (115).
Dee has style, wits, and a determination to get out. According to Nathan Baker, Dee lives in a polaroid world. She only wants to frame her home, get its borders, but not be involved in her family's life. She skips out on what really matters. Dee hates the home she grew up in and Mama thought she hated the family until they raised enough money to send her to school in Augusta. She shoved her knowledge in Mama and Maggie's face by reading books and telling old folk's habits to them. Mama said "she wanted nice things and had a style of her own" (115). When the girls were younger a house fire burned their house down leaving scares on sweet little Maggie. Mama knew then how much Dee hated her life and home by her excitement of the house falling to pieces. Dee wrote to Mama a few times to tell her that "no matter where we "chose" to live, she will manage to come see us. But she will never bring her friends" (115). Maggie asked Mama, "Mama, when did Dee ever have friends" (115).
The reader is not told the age of Maggie, but we do know she is living with her Mama and about to get married. Maggie is nervous of her sister's arrival and eyes her "with a mixture of envy and awe" (115). She believes her sister held life in her own hands and "no" was a word her sister hated. Maggie's shyness and unintelligence might be due to her physical appearance. Mama describes her "perhaps a dog run over by some careless person" and "her skin still burnt from the fire" (115). We see from the beginning of the story Maggie dislikes her sister. When Dee and her guy friend steps out of the car, Maggie makes a dash to the house avoiding her sister's presence.
The first action Dee does when she sees her family is run to get her Polaroid camera. She begins snapping pictures of Mama and Maggie. Again we see Dee doesn't want to be in picture she just wants her heritage and culture seen in the photo, skip the experience and get out of the picture, but still have the photo.
Mama is shocked when Dee tells Mama her old name, Dee, is dead. Dee says "I couldn't bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me" (1155). Mama assures her that "Dee" was named after her Aunt Dee. Wagner, Dee's new name, wanted to know who Aunt Dee was named after and who got than name. This is where we first see Dee's confusion about her heritage. She wanted to change her name to an African name since she believes that was part of her culture and skip what really matters. She doesn't realize her name is from her ancestors.
Walker has written the story to show us Mama's anger toward Dee by allowing a change in tenses. After Dee says her name is dead, Nancy Tauten says "when Dee goes so far as to disown her family's identify, Mama reaches a watershed and before could not express her anger but has now been pushed to far" (17). Mama's shift from present to past tense strengthens Mom's voice, giving her more control which will help with her decision over the quilt by the end of the story.
Dee begins to express her feelings to objects in the kitchen handed down by ancestors in an exaggerated manner. She is impressed they still have the benches her "daddy" made, her Grandmas Dee's butter dish, her Uncle Buddy's churn top, and most importantly the quilts from her Grandma Dee.
The difference between Maggie and Dee's view on heritage is first seen in Maggie's statement about the churn top. Dee was telling her guy friend that Uncle Buddy whittles the churn top but Maggie said in a low, innocent murmur "Aunt Dee's first husband whittles the dash" (1156). Maggie understands and knows about there past. Dee found the quilts "in both of them were scraps of dresses Grandma Dee had worn flirty and more years ago. Bits pieces of Grandpa Arles Paisley shirts. And one teeny faded blue piece, that was from Great Grandpa Ezra's uniform that he wore in the Civil War" (1156). The quilt is indwelled with rich ancestral history which Dee felt she needs to be a part of. Mama told Dee she had promised Maggie the quilts and Dee was not happy.
Dee's attitude is trapped in the foreshadowing of the Polaroid frame. Dee says Maggie will put them "to everyday use" and Dee said they are priceless and need to be hanging on the wall. Dee said Maggie knows how to sew and can make some more. Sweet Maggie looks at her hands and remembers her Grandmother teaching her to sew and tells Mama, Dee can take the quilts. Mama remembers when Dee left for college she tried to give Dee the quilts but Dee claimed they were out of styled. Mama now realizes Dee's is confused on her idea of heritage. She only wants the positive things, quilts and memories of her past ancestors, and skips out on everything in between. Maggie appreciates the quilt she reacts and knows the importance of her ancestor's works, and realizes you can not skip out on details. She says she "can remember Grandma Dee without the quilts" (1157). Ironically, Dee is saying she wants part of her heritage by changing her name and wanting antiques, but won't take pictures with her family. Mama puts her foot down and Dee leaves without the quilts.
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