An Analysis of Alice Walkers Everyday Use - Essay Example

An Analysis of Alice Walker’s Everyday Use Introduction The short story en d Everyday Use revolves in an African American family: the mother and her two daughters. There have been shifts in their characters and status as the story progresses. Maggie and her mother live in their community without the grandeur of formal education and exposure to the modernities of the society. Dee, on the other hand, has gained knowledge which sets her apart from her immediate family, and has used it to her personal advantage. Having returned with her new identity as ‘Wangero,’ she became authoritative and domineering while her mother and sister have been submissive towards her actions. However, conflict arises regarding the rightful ownership of the quilted materials that have been part of their family history. Alice Walker has presented three fictional characters and how they have evolved in order to conform with the society. The protagonist of the story, who is the mother, has shown the reality that even within one’s specific family or culture, discrimination and oppression may live. She has struggled, fought and triumphed over the internal and external conflicts in her desire to preserve her traditions and beliefs. A Character Analysis of the Protagonist Dee and Maggie’s mother has been aware about how things could have been better if her life was like on TV. She imagines herself as very womanly, far from the reality that her responsibilities made her think and act like a man (Walker 23-24). For colored or African American people, they have spent most of their lives in the shadows. Since the protagonist does not have formal education and wealth, she has restricted herself not to cross the imaginary line unless necessary. She has lived her life with her two daughters: Dee, the arrogant and Maggie, the meek. Being a mother, her primary concern is to provide them their basic needs such as education, shelter and protection. She has made an effort to give the former these needs while the latter, because of a fire accident, has been accustomed to stay at home to help. She is used to working hard and being strong enough to provide and defend her family. However, in the latter part of the story, her educated daughter is slowly turning to be one of those tyrants whom she fears. She once believed that only the society and its people can oppress and discriminate her kind. Her idea of discrimination is just limited between the colored and the white, the rich and the poor, and the educated and the ignorant. She has become illuminated when one of her daughters has abandoned the roof of their house and embraced the modernities beyond their territory. Thus, she struggles against her urge to live freely and normally, and against her daughter Dee’s imposing attitude. When the issue about the quilted materials has been brought up, she has finally realized her desire to break free from her controlling daughter. She usually agrees to avoid an argument just like her daughter Maggie. She just absorbs everything like a sponge to see that her daughter is satisfied. Long before the “quilt incident” she has been permissive and passive towards Dee. Even though her daughter sometimes intimidated her intentionally, she has overlooked those things and constrained herself from arguing. On the other hand, this situation is different to those few encounters with Dee. Eventually, the mother had reached her limit and stood up for what she believes. Dee protested that she knows the value of the quilts which she had ironically rejected years ago. She also insisted that her mother does not understand at all, yet her mother strongly believes that she actually does. Hence, Dee’s mother cannot just give them to her. She believes that such heritage should be taken care of, and that they belong to their home. Nevertheless, the mother had given the quilts to Maggie, whom she sees as the rightful owner, without any regret (Walker 33-34). As a result of gathering all her strength and suppressed emotions, she has defeated her inner self and triumphed over her only oppressor, her daughter Dee. In the end, Dee and Maggie’s mother has become happy and contented knowing her desire to be able to speak out, and protect her family’s tradition have been achieved. Conclusion Stereotyping and discrimination can never be totally eliminated. It is given that the white, the educated, and the rich will always have dominion over the others. The short story Everyday Use is not only intended for the African American community. Everyone can relate and attest that these dilemmas have existed in every society. As also presented in the short story Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, the same issues have been brought up, but different approaches have been used. In the story, the protagonist Mr. Kapasi has strived to eliminate prejudice within locals and foreigners in terms of social status and titles. He desires to end people’s negative perception towards his job as a tour guide and an interpreter. He believes that the only way to do this is to utilize his talent globally, not just within India (Lahiri). In this context, both protagonists of the two stories exhibited their great desire to showcase their traditions and culture. They have shared the same line of thinking in terms of valuing their heritage. Furthermore, both of them needed conflict in order to realize their desires and to strengthen themselves. On the contrary, the two characters have also shown differences when it comes to motives, and methods of achieving their desires. The mother focuses on preserving her family’s traditions through her refusal to embrace the modern society. On the other hand, the educated Mr. Kapasi aims for recognition locally and internationally. He is open to the idea of culture diffusion and globalization. Moreover, in terms of personality, the mother shows contentment while Mr. Kapasi perseveres for ambition. Nevertheless, they both have a strong will to live for their desires and beliefs. Both of them know the value of their culture. They have their own concept of what is right or wrong. Recognizing their principles, as well as their flaws, enable them to abandon cowardice and face their society without fear. Works Cited Lahiri, Jhumpa. Interpreter of Maladies. New York: Houghton Mifflin harcourt Publishing Company, 1999. Print. Walker, Alice. Everyday Use. Ed. Barbara T. Christian.United States of America: Rutgers, The State University, 1994. Print. Read More