Everyday Use by Alice Walker

Introduction

The story of “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker takes place the Deep South; however the exact area where the story took place not mentioned, minimally known that it takes place around the 1960s during the era of the Black Pride Movement. It is only known that Mrs. Johnson lives in a simple home with a roof of tin in the rural south. The setting itself is essential to the plot as it provides the stark contrast to each characters way of life. Dee the oldest sibling, moves to the city and becomes educated in the ways of the world and learns about a life which is completely different from the simple existence her mother and her sister, Maggie enjoys (Koppelman, pp. 123). The setting allows for the two worlds of sophistication and rural to collide and shows the attitudes and cultural roots of the Johnson family.

Discussion

Walker has used the items used in everyday life as her symbols in the story "Everyday Use". The objects used by Walker as symbols held special significance for the chief characters of the short story, contradicting the customary objects considered being precious. Mrs. Johnson, Maggie and Dee, are the chief characters of this story. All three of them have their individual opinions on the objects' worth and importance for them. This conflict been expertly used by the author, to depict the importance of an object's worth rather than its appearance and style.

While Dee grew up in the same household as a child, her rejection of her culture and heritage was one of the primary reasons for her being sent away by her mother. When she returns from the city she wants to embrace her culture to the point where she demands her family calls her Wangero. However, her insistence is merely a ...