General Essay Examples

Everyday Use By Alice Walker

Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use" offers a rich examination of heritage, identity, and the differing interpretations of cultural legacy. The narrative centers on the Johnson family, particularly the mother, Mama, and her two daughters, Dee (who renames herself Wangero) and Maggie. Their contrasting views on what constitutes meaningful heritage—whether it's for display or for living—drive the story's central conflict. This example provides a detailed breakdown of the story's elements and offers insights for your own academic writing.

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Key considerations

Authentic heritage is rooted in lived experience and continuity, not just aesthetic appreciation or intellectual adoption.

Alice Walker uses contrasting characters (Mama/Maggie vs. Dee/Wangero) to explore differing interpretations of cultural legacy.

Symbolism, particularly the quilts, plays a crucial role in representing the tangible and intangible aspects of heritage.

Mama's first-person narrative voice provides a grounded perspective that shapes the reader's understanding of the story's central conflict.

Assignment brief

Analyze Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use," focusing on the contrasting perspectives of Mama/Maggie and Dee (Wangero) regarding heritage and cultural identity. Discuss how Walker uses characterization, symbolism, and narrative voice to explore these themes. Your analysis should be approximately 800-1000 words and include specific textual evidence to support your claims.

Reference example

Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" presents a poignant exploration of heritage, identity, and the often-contentious relationship between the past and the present. Set in the rural South during a period of burgeoning Black consciousness, the story centers on a family grappling with differing interpretations of their cultural legacy. At its heart is the tension between Mama, the pragmatic matriarch, and her two daughters: the educated, assertive Dee (who has adopted the Swahili name Wangero) and the shy, scarred Maggie. Their reunion, prompted by Dee's visit, quickly exposes a fundamental divergence in how they perceive and value their African American heritage.

Mama, the narrator, embodies a grounded, lived experience of her heritage. Her life has been one of hard work, resilience, and a deep, unarticulated connection to her ancestors. She cherishes the quilts, the churn, and the other artifacts not as museum pieces but as functional remnants of a life lived. Her understanding of heritage is tied to memory, utility, and continuity. She remembers her grandmother making the quilts, stitching them with "scraps of dresses I had worn and pieces of Grandpa's shirts." These objects are imbued with the stories and the labor of those who came before, and for Mama, their value lies in their continued use, their ability to connect the present generation to the past through practical application.

Dee, conversely, has returned from college with a new name, Wangero, and a romanticized, intellectualized view of her heritage. She sees her African roots through the lens of a newly acquired, external identity, one that emphasizes exoticism and aesthetic appreciation over lived connection. She arrives with a photographer, eager to document her "heritage" as if it were a foreign artifact. Her desire for the quilts, the carved butter churn top, and the other heirlooms stems from a desire to possess and display them, to curate a museum of her past. "I can use these priceless things with the same art that they were made," she declares, but her intention is clearly not to use them in the way they were intended, but to elevate them to the status of art objects, detached from their original context and purpose. This superficial engagement highlights a disconnect between her intellectual understanding of heritage and its emotional, lived reality.

Maggie, Mama's younger daughter, stands in stark contrast to Dee. Marked physically and emotionally by the house fire that killed her father and sister, Maggie is timid, self-effacing, and deeply connected to her family's history through quiet observation and shared experience. She is the repository of oral traditions, the one who remembers the stories behind the objects. While Dee seeks to reclaim a generalized, exoticized African past, Maggie's connection is to the specific, intimate history of her family. She understands the quilts not as abstract symbols but as tangible links to her grandmother's hands and the everyday lives of her ancestors. Her quiet reverence for these items, and her willingness to let them be used and worn, reflects a deeper, more authentic inheritance than Dee's acquisitive approach.

The climax of the story occurs when Dee attempts to take the quilts, dismissing Mama's explanation that they are meant for everyday use. "You just don't understand," Dee insists, revealing the chasm between her and her mother. It is Maggie, in a rare moment of assertiveness, who intervenes. "She can have them and burn 'em too," Maggie says, referring to Dee's dismissive attitude. Mama then understands. She takes the quilts from Dee and gives them to Maggie, recognizing that Maggie, despite her outward timidity, possesses the true spirit of their heritage – one of continuity, respect, and lived experience. The story concludes with Mama and Maggie sitting together, a quiet moment of shared understanding, while Dee drives away, her superficial quest for identity unfulfilled. Walker masterfully uses this domestic scene to comment on broader issues of cultural appropriation, the commodification of identity, and the enduring strength of authentic connection to one's roots.

Understanding Heritage in "Everyday Use"

Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" is a seminal short story that delves into the complex and often conflicting ways individuals connect with their cultural heritage. Through the Johnson family, Walker contrasts a pragmatic, lived understanding of ancestry with a more intellectualized, aestheticized approach. The story prompts readers to consider what truly constitutes heritage: is it something to be preserved in museums, or something to be actively lived and passed down through generations?

Analysis of Key Elements

The strength of "Everyday Use" lies in its nuanced characterization and potent symbolism. Walker avoids simple dichotomies, presenting each character with motivations that are understandable, if not always admirable. The narrative voice of Mama is crucial; her perspective grounds the story in a reality of hard work and familial love, making her eventual assertion of Maggie's claim to the quilts feel earned and deeply resonant.

Thesis and Central Claim

The central claim of "Everyday Use" is that true heritage is not merely an object of aesthetic appreciation or intellectual pursuit, but a living tradition that is woven into the fabric of daily life and passed down through lived experience and continuity. Walker argues that superficial adoption of cultural markers, divorced from their historical context and practical use, represents a form of appropriation rather than genuine inheritance. The story champions the quiet, enduring connection to ancestry embodied by Maggie and Mama over Dee's performative embrace of her roots.

Characterization: Mama, Maggie, and Dee (Wangero)

Mama: The narrator, she represents a grounded, practical connection to heritage. Her identity is forged through labor, resilience, and an intuitive understanding of her family's history. She values objects for their utility and the memories they hold.
Maggie: The younger daughter, physically and emotionally scarred, she is shy and self-effacing. Maggie embodies a deep, quiet reverence for her family's past, understanding the stories and significance behind everyday objects. Her connection is one of lived experience and memory.
Dee (Wangero): The elder daughter, educated and assertive, she adopts a new name and a romanticized view of her African heritage. She seeks to possess and display cultural artifacts, viewing them as art objects rather than functional heirlooms. Her approach is often seen as performative and disconnected from the lived reality of her family.

Symbolism: The Quilts and Other Heirlooms

The quilts are the story's most prominent symbol, representing the tangible connection to generations of women in the Johnson family. They are made from scraps of clothing belonging to deceased relatives, each stitch a testament to labor, love, and memory. For Mama and Maggie, the quilts are functional items meant to be used and cherished in daily life. For Dee (Wangero), they are aesthetic objects to be admired and preserved, detached from their original purpose. Other objects, like the butter churn top, carry similar symbolic weight, highlighting the differing values placed upon them by the characters.

Narrative Voice and Perspective

The story is told from Mama's first-person perspective. This choice is critical. Mama's voice is characterized by its honesty, humility, and directness. Her observations about her daughters reveal her deep love and her growing understanding of their differing values. Her narrative voice allows the reader to experience the conflict through her evolving consciousness, making her final decision regarding the quilts particularly impactful. Her initial deference to Dee gradually gives way to a firm assertion of Maggie's rightful inheritance, guided by her own lived wisdom.

Organizational Structure

Walker structures "Everyday Use" around the dramatic tension created by Dee's visit. The narrative unfolds chronologically, beginning with Mama's anticipation of her daughter's arrival and culminating in the confrontation over the quilts. The story is relatively compact, focusing on a single, pivotal event that brings the underlying conflicts to a head. The flashback elements, particularly Mama's memories of her mother and grandmother, provide essential context for understanding the significance of the heirlooms and the different ways they are valued.

Tone and Style

The tone of "Everyday Use" is largely reflective and observant, filtered through Mama's voice. There are moments of gentle humor, particularly in Mama's self-deprecating descriptions of herself and her home. However, the underlying tone shifts towards one of quiet tension and ultimately, firm resolve as the conflict over the quilts escalates. Walker's prose is accessible yet deeply evocative, using vivid imagery and concrete details to bring the characters and their environment to life. The dialogue is realistic, capturing the distinct voices of the characters.

Revision Opportunities and Student Application

When analyzing "Everyday Use," students often benefit from focusing on specific textual evidence to support their interpretations of character motivations and thematic significance. Consider how Mama's internal monologue evolves throughout the story. A common revision point involves strengthening the connection between the symbolism of the quilts and the broader themes of cultural identity and appropriation. Ensure your analysis moves beyond simply summarizing the plot to offering a critical interpretation of Walker's craft and message. For instance, instead of stating Dee wants the quilts, analyze why she wants them and what that desire reveals about her character and her understanding of heritage.

Does your analysis clearly state the story's central theme(s)?
Have you provided specific textual evidence (quotes) to support your claims about characters and symbols?
Have you explained how the evidence supports your claims, rather than just presenting it?
Does your essay discuss the significance of Mama's narrative voice?
Have you addressed the contrasting perspectives of Maggie and Dee (Wangero) on heritage?
Does your conclusion offer a final insight or synthesis of your analysis?

Example Paragraph: Analyzing Dee's Motivation

Dee's (Wangero's) desire for the quilts, while presented as a reclamation of her heritage, reveals a superficial engagement rooted in aestheticism and a performative identity. When she insists, "I can use these priceless things with the same art that they were made," her emphasis on 'art' rather than 'use' signals a detachment from the quilts' lived history. She views them as artifacts to be curated, a tangible link to an exoticized African past she has adopted, rather than as the functional, memory-laden heirlooms passed down through her immediate family's labor. This is further underscored by her arrival with a photographer, framing her 'discovery' of heritage as a spectacle for external validation, a stark contrast to Maggie's quiet, internal connection.

FAQs

What is the main conflict in "Everyday Use"?

The main conflict arises from the differing perspectives of Dee (Wangero) and her mother, Mama, regarding how their family's heritage, particularly the quilts, should be preserved and valued. Dee wants to display them as art, while Mama and Maggie believe they should be used and lived with, continuing the tradition.

Who is the protagonist of "Everyday Use"?

While the story revolves around the conflict between the sisters, Mama is generally considered the protagonist. The narrative is told from her perspective, and the story charts her evolving understanding and her ultimate decision about the quilts, which signifies her own growth and assertion of values.

What does Dee renaming herself Wangero symbolize?

Dee's adoption of the Swahili name Wangero symbolizes her attempt to connect with an idealized, external African heritage, often perceived as more 'authentic' or 'exotic' than her immediate family's lived experience. It represents a rejection of her Americanized identity in favor of a romanticized ancestral past, highlighting a disconnect from her roots as experienced by her mother and sister.

How does Alice Walker critique cultural appropriation in the story?

Walker critiques cultural appropriation by showing how Dee (Wangero) attempts to 'own' and 'curate' her heritage as an aesthetic object, detached from its functional and familial context. Dee's approach is performative and commodifying, contrasting sharply with Mama and Maggie's genuine, lived connection, suggesting that true heritage cannot be simply adopted or displayed without understanding and respecting its origins and purpose.

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