The solid fact that Sister has remained a fixture in the house and should have the greater claim to her mother's attention is dazzled away by the return of Stella-Rondo. The mother's indecision and vacillation is somewhat comic as she continues to insist that "I prefer to take my children's word for anything when it's humanly possible" (5). Deciding which child to believe is her character's conflict. Because Welty portrays her as a weak character who would rather slap her daughter than hear the truth, it is not a surprise that she takes the path of least resistance and sides with the flashy Stella-Rondo. Her vain foolishness provides a sardonic comedy that colors the tone of the story.
An important difference in the styles of both stories is that they exist for different purposes. Alice Walker's story makes an argument for things to remain the same in the lives and setting of the characters. Her depiction of Dee as a clear outsider who had always hated the family home reinforces the strength with which the other characters are willing to love and defend their heritage. While Dee had laughed as the old house had burned, Maggie was literally scarred by the event. The situation of the story involving the visit and rejection of Dee underscores the author's purpose. Having Maggie find a real smile because Dee is leaving in a huff allows Mama a happy ending where "the two of us sat there just enjoying, until it was time to go in the house and go to bed" (826). Contentment in their setting and the certainty that Maggie and Mama have the correct appreciation of everyday objects colors the tone and directs the style of the whole story.
Welty's story is also a first person narrative, but it exists...
Everyday Use by a. Walker Order Alice Walker There have and are well-known authors that literature students are introduced to and discussed because of the intensity, reasons, persona, and literary devices that the authors add to works they publish. Using writing techniques, like Alice Walker has done in "Everyday Use" she originally wrote in 1973, she sets the scene from a place in her time when she was living life and facing
Instead, Wangero continues to only see that her name is a reminder that African-Americans were denied their authentic names. "I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me" (53). Walker is not by any means condemning the Black Power movement when she challenges Wangero's viewpoint. Instead, she is questioning that part of this movement that does not acknowledge and, more importantly, respect the scores of
Dee is not interested in family history; she is interested in making an artistic statement. The discussion of the butter churn is merely a prelude to the big event over the quilts. The quilts are sewn together of fabrics from ancestors' clothing. This association makes them important reminders of family to Maggie and Mama. However, these two see the practical or everyday value of the items as well. Mama intends
Everyday Use by Alice Walker The thematic richness of "Everyday Use" is made possible by the perceptive, and flexible voice of the first-person narrator. It is the mother's viewpoint that permits the reader to understand both Dee and Maggie. Seen from a distance, both young women seem stereotypical - one a smart but rather ruthless college girl, the other a sweet but ineffectual homebody. The close scrutiny of the mother redeems
However what the older generation knew about the worth of heritage had somehow escaped the youth. The elders felt that adoption of culture and heritage made more sense when it had an impact on a person's way of thinking and their lifestyle. Dee, with a more modern approach towards heritage, felt an identity based on it could be adopted with the adoption of 'things' connected with her ancestors' culture. For
Cultural Impacts in Everyday Use The objective of this study is to examine the work of Alice Walker entitled "Everyday Use" and the how culture impacts values and material objects and the manner in which culture in reality impacts people and their lifestyle. The work of Alice Walker entitled "Everyday Use" examines the connotations of culture on material objects. The story involves a woman named Dee who is disgusted with what she
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