Title: everyday use Category:Literature / English Details: Words: 821 | Pages: 3.5 (approximately 235 words/page)
everyday use
Everyday Use
It seems as if the importance of family traditions and heirlooms has been passed
down from generation to generation since the dawn of time. In many cultures, being
named after a family member is not only the norm, but considered an honor. These
heirlooms that are passed down represent a family’s ancestry and heritage. In Alice
Walker’s “Everyday Use,” it is evident that Dee is equally confused about her family’s
African-American heritage and the significance of their heirlooms. Futhermore, the
…showed first 85 words of 821 total…
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…showed last 85 words of 821 total…Putting these priceless heirlooms to everyday use
is exactly what Maggie intends to do. She also intends to continue to quilt in the same
manner that her Grandmother taught her while she was still alive. The story ends with
the mother being “passionately moved by Maggie’s genuine kinship with tradition, [she]
declares allegiance” (Watkins 403). The decision by Mrs. Johnson to snatch the quilt out
of Dee’s hands allows their heritage to continue, and not just be stuck in a frame and
forgotten about.
