"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker Comparison of the values held by the three main characters.

In the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker the family quilt is used as a symbol of the values that each family member holds dear. To Maggie the quilt is just another thing she has to give up. To Dee the quilt is a symbol of rising above her poor past. To their mother the quilt is symbolic of the roots of her family. The oldest daughter, Dee values her friend's approval. While she …

…shy and lacking in self-confidence. Dee's college education and the time she has spent away from the house has made her see her upbringing as something to rise above and the mother sometimes dreams of a better life than what she has but her family roots have kept her grounded and humble. Walker, Alice. "Everyday Use." Literature; An Introduction To Reading And Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. New Jersey: Prentice Hall