Everday Use

“Everyday Use” is a story about three women, a family that lives in dingy three room house. It did not even have real windows, rather, it had holes in the walls resembling port holes on a ship. Maggie and Dee were the daughters of the narrator of the story. Maggie was burned in a fire that destroyed their first house. She is quiet and respectful, while Dee was the vein, arrogant daughter. Maggie is very involved her heritage and where her roots came from. Her mother had two quilts that were passed down from generation to generation made up of old swatches of clothes from her great grandparents. Maggie and Dee were both supposed to get one, but at that time, Dee had no interest in the quilts. So after Dee left for college and it was just Maggie and her mother, Maggie was going to get both quilts.

Alice Walker used symbols throughout the short story. The most

“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker is a narrative that describes a family through symbolism. This story tells of a much anticipated homecoming of a lost daughter. Through symbolism, Alice Walker teaches moral lessons about heritage and identity. This story asserts that family history should be a part of everyday life. Walker gave her characters realistic characteristics so the readers could see themselves. The symbolism was the most influential part of the story.

noticeable one was the quilts. They symbolized the years of oppression that African American faced and are still

Lastly, the final symbol in this short narrative is the burns on Maggie’s arm. Maggie’s description is symbolic of her personality. Maggie has been marked by her surroundings. Maggie, Dee and their mother lived in a little house with a shingle roof. It was burned down in a fire and Maggie was injured in it. Her mother said, “Sometimes I can still here the flames and Maggie’s arms sticking to me, her hair smoking and her dress falling off in little black flakes” (Guth, Pg238). The burns on Maggie’s arms symbolize the pain she has suffered throughout her life. She is scarred for life by the fire and by her sister. Maggie is like the old house and the new house. Dee hated Maggie just like her old house that burned down, but when Dee moves out and comes back for a visit, she is trying to help Maggie move on. Maggie is not the brightest individual and she knows it. She does not have many social choices, like who she is going to marry. The only thing Maggie has going for her is that she is her families past and present. The narrative never says that he

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