In Pursuit of the Good Life

The protagonists in both short stories, Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” and Tom Whitecloud’s “Blue Winds Dancing,” are round characters. The character of Miss Johnson in “Everyday Use” is comfortable with the simple life, while Tom Whitecloud in “Blue Winds Dancing” is attempting to find his niche in the world. Both authors use the first person narrative to give the reader a peek into their characters’ respective worlds and lives. Closer examination of these stories show that a si…

…ggie demonstrate their contentment by smiling and enjoying a dip of snuff and just sitting there until it was time for bed. Both authors from low-income, highly spiritual backgrounds show contentment through their characters with the simple things in life. Miss Johnson because of her age and self-assuredness is more content than the younger and less self identified Tom Whitecloud.