Life Lessons in \"Everyday Use\"

Life Lessons in "Everyday Use"

Alice Walker's short story, "Everyday Use," should remain in the literary canon because it not only tells the story of one family, it tells the story of family and hertiage and how these become distorted as individuals allow themselves to be influenced by outer forces that seek to suppress individuality. In "Everyday Use," Dee is admired for leaving her home and seeking an education. However her education only separates her from what mattters in life. As Dee wants to become more African-American, she loses her identity. She's oblivious to the fct that she'a abandoned who she is for who she wants to be. Her sense of self is replaced by a sense of xxxx. Her mother at one time, had high hopes for Dee but in a moment of clarity, realizes her handicapped daughter loves her family more than Dee ever could. This story is about humanity and how it can destory itself when it becomes distracted with worldly ideals. "Everyday Use" is relevent for any generation as it forces us to look at who we really are despite who we wish we were.

Heritage emerges as in important aspect of this story. Walker puts forth an important commentary about heritage with the unusual twist of quilts and beauty. Elizabeth Piedmont-Marton observes "Dee views her heritage as an artifact which she can possess and appreciate from a distance instead of as a process in which she is always intimately involved" (Piedmont-Marton). We learn from Mama that part of one's heritage is the passing on of the quilts. They have been handed down from one generation to the next and they were not made to be considered "priceless" as Dee claims they are. They are priceless but not in the way Dee believes them to be. They are spectacles to Dee; they are reminders of a past from which she wishes to disconnect. Whitsitt notes that Dee takes pictures of the family but she is never in any of them, suggesting, "Dee wants to make sure that she has a picture of herself not being in the picture. She wants to frame that world, define its borders, give it a wholeness which then allows her to handle it without being a part of it" (Whitsitt). Heritage is a phantom for Dee; she likes her heritage as long as it remains far from her. Interestingly, She attempts to tell her mother she does not understand the meaning of heritage. She tells Maggie it is a "new days for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you'd never know it" (Walker 1428). Here we see that Dee wants only to cling to the part of her past that gives her character in her college world. She wanted to escape her pitiful life but she wants to use it in the city as something she can be proud that she escaped. Whitsitt states, "Dee has not returned to fill a place held for her while she was absent. What Dee doesn't want to see . . . is a link between herself and that place she came from. She is not a part of that whole" (Whitsitt). This is true. Dee does not want to be a part of where she came from in actuality. She wants the glory attached to overcoming such an oppressive, mucky past but she does not want to get dirty from it now.

Family also becomes an important issue in Walker's fiction. Before Dee returns, Mama hopes to her of her success away from home. After Dee arrives, however, this hope fades because of Dee's attitude. It seems time opened Mama's eyes to a few of her daughter's unappealing characteristics. Mama always knew Dee wanted "nice things" (Walker 1423) but it seems she wanted more as well. While she away, she changes her name to "Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo" (1425) because she will not endure "being named after the people who oppress me" (1425). She is concerned with herself and she seems to only come home to take things back with her, including things like a butter dish and dasher. When she decides she wants the quilts, she sees no reason why she should not have them, noting "Maggie can't appreciate these quilts!" (1427). Mama suddenly realizes how selfish Dee is when she thinks she deserves certain things because she thinks she can appreciate them more than anyone else can. She moved away to become enlightened and returned a snob. She wants to use every experience, past and present, to enhance her feigned future. She does not care about her family in the least and Maggie's handing over the quilts demonstrates this to the fullest.

"Everyday Use" should remain in the literary cannon because of Walker's unique style. Walker presents realistic characters and embellishes her stories with symbols that help drive her points home. The quilts are an important symbol because they represent heritage and how each girl responds to that notion. Maggie's "defects" are also a symbol of her seeming lack. Elisabeth Piedmont-Marton writes, "Maggie's own scarred body resembles the faded patches of the quilt, where stitching resembles healing. She is literally making something of herself everyday, just like she and her mother make things everyday" (Piedmont). Maggie is likened to "a lame animal, perhaps a dog run over by some careless person" (Walker 1423) and she hangs her head as she walks. She is "not bright" (1423) while Dee is outgoing and lovely. Maggie appears to be the weakest person in the story but she emerges strong. We might be drawn to Dee initially but we soon learn that the old adage of judging a book by its cover is true. Each daughter's view regarding the quilts cause mama to see them in a new and honest light. Mama realizes this as she places the quilts in Maggie's arms. She is respecting heritage by keeping the quilts where they rightfully belong.