The Role of Education in Creating Feelings and Relationships as Shown in Everyday Use by Alice Walker - Book Report/Review Example

The role of education in creating feelings and relationships as shown in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker The role of education in creating feelings and relationships as shown in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker Introduction In day to day life, education plays a vital role in most aspects. For instance, since it is involved with the transmission of skills in either formal or informal environments, it helps in the creation of a number of relationships. People have varied relationships that are based on their varied education levels. This element is revealed in many literary works that discuss the role of education in the contemporary as well as the past societies. One of them is Alice walker who in her book “Everyday use”, attempts to explain how education can change different situations from time to time. Based on the specific levels various people behave in different ways towards themselves and others in relation to education. Therefore, education is shown to have both divisive and combining powers. In this sense, this paper will analyze this aspect in the “Everyday Use” book by Alice Walker. It will evaluate the different feelings brought about by education and the examples that are used to achieve this notion. Analysis of the theme of education in “Everyday Use” “Everyday use” portrays education as an element that is so much sort after for its numerous benefits to the individual and the society. On the other hand, there is a contradicting element linked to this factor. The characters in the book are shown to look for education in order to make a better life out of their current slavery status. The main character who is portrayed to look for this is Dee. She is a slave who desires education to make her situation better. However, she faces a great challenge in her inability to go to the school that she wants. However, after a lot of sacrifice from her fellow slaves she attends school where she gets a lot of ideologies and knowledge. Therefore, she is enlightened in a way that she wants to find the truth. As a result, the positive elements expected from education are not fully achieved. Instead, a long formed friendship and family ties are broken and the individuals separated. The lofty ideas and educational opportunity that Dee finds give her a sense of loss of heritage. In turn, she seeks her background, and identity that can only be provided by her family (Walker, 1992). The changes that are brought about by education During the time period between the 1960s and the 1970s the African Americans did not get the chance to engage in as many activities as the other citizens were. For instance, the people from other races were given the opportunity to take part in various education activities. Education is principle reason why the knowledge, skills and values are accumulated and transmitted from one generation to another. Although education serves as the key to gain this kind of power, the power, which is asserted should not be tarnished or misused to offend other people. In everyday use, this aspect is revealed on many occasions. It is mainly brought out by one of the characters who is known as Dee. Lack of education brings about displeasure In the book, Dee is not pleased with her life. However, this changes when the church and her Mama raised the funds needed for her to attend school at Agusta. With this perspective a similarity is created by Walker in comparison to the burning of knowledge, which she equates with the burning of the image of Maggie. It is revealed through the burning of knowledge into Mama and Maggie. The key thing that Dee was in search of was worldly knowledge. However, Mama and Maggie were not out to get the worldly knowledge (Walker, 1992). Education brings more divisions than the intended benefits Mama takes Dee to school with the hope that it would strengthen the relationship between her and her family members. It is for this reason that she struggled to send her to a good school. Nonetheless, it proves to be more divisive than it is beneficial to the relationship that she has with her family. The divisive nature is shown after a while when Dee spent some time away from the farm where she lived with Mama and Maggie she went out in search of her roots. She did not do this in order to get the emotional attachment but because of the desire that she possessed to look at the simpler ways of life. She wanted to use this as a novelty that an individual would put somewhere on the shelf. Walker shows how education has separated Dee from her family. However, it has not only brought about separation in the family but has also led to the separation of Dee from her true sense of self. She is able to acquire lofty ideals and a good education that Mama works so hard to sacrifice for (Walker, 1992). Education, Racism and opportunity In essence, Mama did not get the chance to have an education. Education brought about immense rifts between the whites and African Americans. When Mama was small, her school was closed and no attempts were made to reopen it. This, in addition to passive acceptance and some factors that were beyond her control, resulted in the life of toil. Dee was fortunate enough that Mama gave her the chance to go to school. They both acted as advantages since although Mama was not refined, she did not have much pressure as was Dee’s case. The changes brought about by education The experience of the education acquired by Dee indicates that there are subsequent changes in the lives of individuals and their families that are felt after the entire process. After her return, she indicates that she has rejected the name that is so much associated with slaves; Dee and changed it to one that is more meaningful; Wangero. She felt that the latter name represented her African-American roots as opposed to her slave roots. This change would not have been effected without the education she acquired. Therefore, it is as a result of the knowledge and skills that she gets from the education process that she begins to understand the different concepts related to a name (Walker, 1992). In addition, it is revealed that Dee does not have any respect for anything else apart from her world. Owing to this, she alienates herself from the world she lives in and her roots. There is a difference between her and Maggie who does not know any other world apart from the one she came from. She is uneducated and is able to read haltingly. This cases her to bring a halt to her own self fulfillment. Unlike Dee, she does everything that she is told and accepts the difficult sheltered life that she lives without any questions. In this sense, Walker sets up the great contrast to show the presence of an iconic contradiction. It depicts that Dee possesses a voracious quest for knowledge. It has led to the alienation with her family. On the other hand, the lack of education has stifled and harmed Maggie. The ultimate indication is that education and the lack of it both have a potential to harm and create varied dangerous situations for individuals (Walker, 1992). References Walker, A. (1992). Everyday use. Logan, Iowa: Perfect Learning Read More