"Everyday Use"

"Although I never was a good singer.  Never could carry a tune.  I was always better at a man's job.  I used to love to milk till I was hooked in the side in '49.  Cows are soothing and slow and don't bother you, unless you try to milk them the wrong way," (pg 175).

Let me begin this blog by saying that on my list, Dee was my number 2 most likable character (so 9 on the scale), but my group disagreed with me.

Speaking about the number two, let me more closely analyze (I use that word with hesitation) the second half question number two from "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker.

This question really attempts to test my awareness to the small clips of the past revealed by Mama.  Here's a clip that came to my mind when I read this question.  Can you count how many times the team in white passes the ball?

Be able to pull out small details like this while seemingly menial tasks go on is crucial in the indirect characterization of Mama, Dee and Maggie.

Dee's hatred of the old house helped to establish Dee as a round character.  Dee may appear to be a girl who left her family for better beginnings, but her resentment of the house showed us that she was always an independent woman hoping to go further in life than her family was allowing her to.  By quickly establishing Dee's hatred of the past house, Mama also establishes Maggie and Dee as foil characters to explain the differing opinions found later in the story.

Dee's ability determination to stare down any disaster continues to portray Dee as the character who strives for excellence and will not let a mere obstacle hinder her progress in defeating the prejudice that has held her back thus far.  Following this was the mention of Dee's unique style which further confirms the idea that Dee was destined to exploit the new opinions surrounding the African American culture.

Maggie's burns from the fire are a constant reminder for Maggie that she is vulnerable and inferior to Dee.  Her mother was there for her during the fire, but has since left her as she began to feel inferior to Dee who was standing under the gum tree during the fire watching her mother and Maggie struggle through the fire (not that she really could have done much else, but the way the scene described it made it seem like she was gloating from a distance in Mama's mind).

Mama's accident when milking the cow warranted only two sentences in the entire short story, but the connotation of them is striking.  Cows seem to be a symbol in this story for staying true to the past (up to their presence in pictures with the house).  Mama seems afraid to stand up to Dee because if she confronts Dee the wrong way, then she will no longer be the slow and soothing Dee she knows.

Dee's refusal to accept the quilt really goes along with the first question in that it shows us how much Dee has grown to accept her heritage as a piece of her that she should be proud of.  She now finds herself more deserving of the quilts than Maggie because Dee has grown to appreciate the meaning behind the quilts as more than a means of keeping her warm.

(Wow, it takes a lot of words to answer one question...)