Everyday Use" by Alice Walker: analysis of family conflict and cultural identity

¶ … Alice Walker

There are different expressions and types of culture, and culture can mean different things to various people who are a part of the same culture. This truth is demonstrated poignantly in Alice Walker's short story entitled "Everyday Things." In this tale, there is a generation and culture clash between the worldly aspirations and ambitions of Dee, and the normal, everyday ambitions of her mother and her sister Maggie. At the heart of the issue explored within this story is what the proper usage of culture actually is. For some people, culture is something that is a reminder of the past and which is not readily interacted with everyday. For other people, culture is simply a way of life and how individuals and collectives go about pursuing their lives. A close examination of "Everyday Use" reveals that this tale examines a generation clash within a family related to culture, in which the author implies the everyday usage of culture is the most applicable version of it.

The principle way that Walker conveys to the reader that the most applicable means of regarding culture is to interact with it on an everyday basis is in settling a dispute between the family over the fate of valued quilts. Dee, who is a college student and is attuned to a modern appreciation of culture which views it as something quaint and historic but decidedly old-fashioned, wants to take some quilts that her mother has promised to Dee's sister, Maggie. Dee believes that the quilts should be given to her so that she can hang them up and enjoy the sight of them -- yet not regularly interact with them. Maggie, however, represents the traditional view of culture in which people regularly interact with it as a means of living their lives. The following quotation, however, reveals that Walker ultimately advocates Maggie's view of culture. In this passage the mother (who narrates the tale) suddenly decides to give the quilts to Maggie. "I did something I never done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's hands and dumped them into Maggie's lap" (Walker). This passage is of particular important because it illustrates Mama's judgment. The quilts are ultimately hers to give to her two daughters; she unequivocally decides to give them to Maggie and not to Dee (who is referred to as Wangero here). The reason she does so is because for a large part of the story she has seen Dee and witnessed her conception of culture, which is dissimilar from hers and Maggie's. The latter prefer to interact with culture regularly and use quilts, instead of merely admiring them. Thus, Walker implies this view of culture is better than Dee's.

Even before Mama issues her judgment of the fate of the quilts, Walker provides plenty of evidence to indicate that Mama will ultimately decide in favor of Maggie and of Maggie's appreciation for culture. The generation gap between Dee and her other family members is apparent from Dee's sudden decision to give herself an African name (Wangero), which her mother and Maggie have a difficult time pronouncing. The same thing applies to the newfound African name of Dee's boyfriend, and Mama's inability to pronounce it. Mama cannot fully relate to the newfound fascination for Africa that Dee is embracing, nor to her view of culture in which she simply reveres something as a trophy and does not regularly interact with it. The subsequent quotation in which Dee and Mama are talking about the quilts proves this point. "Maggie can't appreciate these quilts!" she said. She'd probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use." "I reckon she would," I said. "God knows I been saving 'em for long enough with nobody using 'em. I hope she will!" (Walker). The difference in each woman's conception of everyday use is apparent from this passage. Dee calls everyday use of culture and items that reflect it "backward." Mama, however, is clearly in favor of such usage. Her favoring this viewpoint indicates Walker's as well.