Interpret Everyday Use by Alice Walker according to guidlines - Essay Example

Moreover, when she mentions the burning down of their previous house, she mentions Dee’s response to the mishap, “Why don't you do a dance around the ashes? I'd wanted to ask her. She had hated the house that much.” Thus, Dee comes across as rather reckless and selfish while Mama bears the consequences of her daughter’s nature. On the other hand, certain situations mentioned in the story tilt the scale in favor of Dee/Wangero. Mama, while thinking of Dee’s hatred for their house, remembers her response, “She wrote me once that no matter where we "choose" to live, she will manage to come see us.

” Thus, although haughty and tweaked with vanity, Dee cared about her mother, understood her condition and in a way supported her by reassuring her of her support. Another instance shows that Dee, although has grown apart from her mother and sister, missed them and cherished their memories. This is proved by the following lines in the story in which Dee clicks their pictures to take with her. “She turns, showing white heels through her sandals, and goes back to the car. Out she peeks next with a Polaroid.

” However, viewing both sides, the character of Mama is undoubtedly more ‘sympathetic’, and the one which I consider the ‘right one’. The reason for this is that, she comes across as a sad, unfulfilled woman whose dreams remained just that – dreams. . Maggie and Dee were as far apart as two individuals sharing the same blood line can be. Dee was confident, successful and a vivacious extrovert leading an urban lifestyle. In contrast, Maggie was shy, unsure of her appearance, and didn’t know life outside the realms of her home.

In spite of the contrasting nature of their lives, the two girls did care for each other. This is evident in the way Maggie, although angry at first, agrees to give Dee the quilts that were saved for her, “She can have them, Mama.” Moreover, Dee while going away gives Maggie some heartfelt ‘sisterly’ advice, “she turned to Maggie, kissed her, and said, you ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie.” Both girls were similar in the way they cared for their mother, in the ways they found suitable in accordance with their demeanor.

Also, both had similar choices as both of them found the ancient quilts attractive. Although both saw their value differently, they shared the desire to own the quilts. A first person narrator refers to a person who is himself a character in the story. Such narration can be biased at times because the person is closely involved in the story and thus certain situations can alter his view, thereby altering the overall view of the narration. In this story, Mama is the first person narrator and although she lays down the facts and the events as they occurred, we cannot completely rely on her observance and conclusions, as, at some point of time, her narration is sure to be colored with her personal views, thus altering the course of realization of the reader.

As she is the one who narrates, we get to see her side of story the best. Also, we get to know Maggie and Dee through her perspective and her judgment of good or bad is passed