In the short story, Everyday Use, Alice Walker presents an interesting character to her readers named Dee. Dee is described as being a "woman now-. Dee has lighter skin, nicer hair, and a fuller figure then her sister Maggie. Dee went to school unlike her sister Maggie. The mother in the story explains how nothing is ever good enough for Dee. Dee eventually changes her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo because she could no longer take being named after people who oppress her. The mother thinks that Maggie hates her sister Dee because "no- is a word the world never learned to say to her. Dee in nave and dose not understand that she would not have made it in life without her families' help. It is ironic how the mother tells Dee no at the end of the story. The mother describes having a similar feeling to church, when the spirit of God touches her and makes her happy, because she said no to Dee. Something she had never done before.
After reading Everyday Use and analyzing Dee's character, I thought about how life is never "yes- all the time. Dee expects far too much from her family and never gives them back anything in return for their sacrifices. Even though Dee when to school, she lacks the understanding of simple life values that her uneducated sister already knows. There is much more to life then being book smart. I understand why Dee wants to have nice things, but wanting all of the families' priceless items is selfish. If Dee had been more eager to learn from her sister Maggie then being trapped in her own style, it would have made her character stronger. I do not ever want to say yes to my future kids in fear that they will turn out selfish like Dee. .
