English 2 CP 3rd Period Essays - Fiction, Everyday Use,

English 2 CP 3rd Period September 14, 2011 Dee and Maggie's Differences The short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker is a short story about two adult-age sisters and a mom who has to make a hard decision. The characters Dee and Maggie are the two sisters who both share a desire to have possession of the family quilts. These quilts are a symbol of their family heritage and getting a better understanding of their history. At the conclusion of the story, the reader understands the different values and needs of both Dee and Maggie. The two sisters have both distinct perspectives in appearance, education, and family heritage values; Dee and Maggie are quite different. In "Everyday Use", the sisters Dee and Maggie have differences in their appearance. Maggie is plain looking and is insecure about her appearance. Her scar from the house fire left her with an extremely low self-esteem. Maggie also does not put effort into how she looks. Maggie is plain looking and very homely. Unlike Maggie, Dee is confident about her appearance. She is materialistic, sophisticated, and stylish. Dee is aggressive and puts effort into what she wears. Also, Dee is everything but insecure. She is outspoken, has high self-esteem, but is also arrogant. Characters Dee and Maggie have distinct views about their appearances. Moreover, the educational differences of Dee and Maggie are quite different. Dee's education advanced once she left home. She went to college and also traveled to Africa to learn more about her heritage; her education is more official with book knowledge. On the other hand, Maggie has an education fulfilled with everyday experiences. Maggie did not attend college and continued to stay home with her mother. Maggie learned from the cultural things her mother taught her and the experiences throughout her life. Dee and Maggie's educational styles are different. Lastly, the values and needs of the characters Dee and Maggie are similar but also altered. Dee feels that she should have possession of the family quilts so that they are valued by putting them into a museum. Also, she does not understand that the quilts should be cherished in a way that they are used every day. Nonetheless, Maggie has an emotional desire for the possession of the quilts; Maggie wants the quilts to remember her Grandma Dee and Big Dee, since they were the ones who taught her to make quilts. Maggie does not feel that they would be properly valued in a museum. She feels that the quilts should be used every day (hints the title "Everyday Use"). Dee may feel that she is valuing her heritage by wanting to display it, although Maggie's choice in cherishing them is much better. In conclusion, the characters, Dee and Maggie, in the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker are quite different. They have different qualities and values of their heritage, and do not see eye-to-eye. Although, in the end, the mother did have to make a hard decision of who would receive possession of the family quilts. The mother ended with giving Maggie the quilts because she felt Maggie would value them more; the reader can conclude that the mother was happy with her decision. In Line 254 of "Everyday Use", Mama said, "When I looked at her like that, something hit me in the top of my head and ran down the soles of my feet. Just like when I'm in church and the spirit of God touches me...". It proved the emotion of Mama. The theme "Understanding heritage can bring families closer together" applies to this short story.