In most cases, when two children are raised by the same person they grow up with a lot of the same interests and ideas. Maggie and Dee are two sister who have little to nothing in common. In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," they differ in appearance, personality, and their beliefs about family values. .
Maggie the younger of the two sisters is a shy timid girl with not much self esteem. She is not that attractive, a thin awkward girl. She carries herself like someone with low self esteem, " chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle" (87). When Maggie is first introduced is the story she is so nervous about her sisters visit that she will not even step off the porch and attempts to hide. Maggie values the family quilts for their sentiment and usefulness. She, herself, was taught to quilt by her grandmother and aunt that made the quilts that she so cherishes.
Dee, the older sister, is a bold young woman that has never been afraid to express herself. She is a very attractive girl with, "nice hair and a full figure" (87). As Dee steps out of the car, her mother makes the comment, "Her feet were always neat-looking, as if God himself had shaped them with a certain style" (88). Dee also values the family quilts but, as priceless objects to own and display. When previously given the opportunity to have a quilt they were at that time not good enough for her.
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Maggie and Dee are two sisters who have turned out very differently. Maggie is awkward and unattractive, while Dee is confident and beautiful. Maggie values the sentiment of the family quilts, while Dee wants to display them as a piece of art. Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," shows us that two sisters born to the same parents, raised in the same household, can grow up with totally different values, beliefs, personalities, and psychological traits. .
