Everyday Use Essays

Repetition leads to habit. Collective habit in a community though becomes tradition and eventually heritage. Alice Walker in “Everyday Use” uses quilts as a representation of two different approaches of preserving African American heritage in the ever evolving modern world. Dee is the woman who “made it” (Walker 103), who …

Compare and Contrast The central conflict of both stories Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” and Gish Jen’s “Who’s Irish” is the generation gap as both protagonists belong to the older generation and look at the things from a different perspective as compared with the younger generations. Both protagonists are similar as …

In Alice Walker’s story, “Everyday Use” the story is portrayed with much of a power struggle over Dee thinking that she has more of a grasp on the family’s heritage then the rest of her family. While Mamma and Maggie have a very different take on things. This story is …

Write an essay of approximately 750 words on “Everyday Use (For Your Grandmother,” by Alice Walker, in which you discuss the theme of the story, how the characters relate to or embody the theme, and the significance of the man-made objects (especially the quilt) to the theme. The theme of …

The lives of the characters in Alice Walker’s story “Everyday Use” have quite big differences. The three main characters are “Mama,” Maggie, and Dee. The events that occurred in each other’s lives developed growing up in a unique setting. Mama never made it out of the second grade so therefore …

In present-day society, families go through several problems and arguments regarding numerous issues which would have been considered unacceptable in past times. Throughout a variety of different cultures, the level of respect and obedience for one’s parents has diminished while the negotiation of conformity and rebellion has risen. This statement …

Dee is selfish daughter. It is ironic how she cherishes her heritage but turns her back on it according to her actions. She has become somewhat superficial and wants to take these household items, such as the butter churner and dasher, to put on display in her home. Those items …

The character of “Dee” in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” comes across as being very shallow, selfish and arrogant from the very beginning of the story. As the story progresses though, Dee does become more complex and is shown to be struggling with her own identity and heritage. Concrete details are …

Alice Walker’s short story, “Everyday Use,” reflects the intimate struggle within a poor African American family as they run up against monumental issues of history, heritage, and family values. Dee in Alice Walker’s story, “Everyday Use,” is struggling to find her place in the world and who she is. This …

In “Everyday Use,” Alice Walker writes about a black mother and her two daughters, Maggie and Dee. Both the mother and Maggie are traditional characters, who are proud of their black heritage. However, Dee is the opposite of her mother and sister. She has false thoughts of her heritage. In …