Dakota Massey Mrs. Korando American Literature 19 Apr 2023 Mallard Vs. Johnson “The Story of an Hour,” by Kate Chopin and “Everyday Use,” by Alice Walker are two different stories, but they may have similar underlying themes. “Everyday Use” deals with an African American mother who, when her oldest daughter Dee comes home, must decide to take a stand. Dee wants to take the quilts that Maggie, the narrator’s other daughter, was going to inherit from their grandmother. Since it is implied that Dee used to always get her way, the narrator’s stand is a big moment. On the other hand, in “The Story of an Hour,” Louise Mallard hears that her husband has passed away. For a few moments, she feels freedom from his implied control until he eventually …show more content…
“Everyday Use” is about a mother who must decide to stand up against her oldest daughter Dee and her selfishness. It can be inferred throughout the story that Dee is a little spoiled. Dee states, “‘This churn top is what I need’” (Walker, 770). She also says, “‘And I want the dasher, too’” (Walker, 770). These pieces of evidence show that Dee wants to take some items from her mother’s home with her. According to the story, “‘Mama,’ Wangero said sweet as a bird. ‘Can I have these old quilts?’” (Walker, 771). This proves that Dee, in addition to the dasher and churn top, wants to take a few quilts from her mother as well. However, the narrator states, “‘The truth is,’ I said. ‘I promised to give them quilts to Maggie’” (Walker, 771). The narrator, in this quote, is telling Dee that she promised to give the quilts that Dee wants to Maggie. Since Dee is already taking other stuff, this is selfish and further shows that Dee is spoiled. Maggie, being used to Dee’s spoiled attitude, says, “‘She can have them, Mama,’ she said, like somebody used to never winning anything, or having anything reserved for her” (Walker, 771). When the narrator notices Maggie’s upset look, she finally decides to stand against Dee’s selfishness. According to the narrator, “...snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero’s hands and dumped them into Maggie’s lap. Maggie just sat there on my bed with her mouth open. ‘Take one or two of the others,’ I said to Dee” (Walker, 772). This is a big moment for Maggie and the narrator, shown by Maggie’s surprise. The narrator finally stood up against Dee’s greediness, and it led to her and Maggie both being happy. According to the story, “Maggie smiled; maybe at the sunglasses. But a real smile, not scared” (Walker, 772). Furthermore, “I asked Maggie to bring me a dip of snuff. And then the two of us sat there just enjoying…” (Walker, 772). This shows that after the narrator took her stand, Maggie was smiling and no
Through Dee, Walker critiques the modern trend of superficial appropriation of cultural symbols without deeper knowledge or understanding. Dee only values the quilts for their aesthetic beauty and the cultural stereotype they represent, disregarding their historic value and sentimental connection to her family. In contrast, Mama and Maggie understand the quilts' worth lies not in their surface appearance but their emotional meaning and historic significance. The quilts are passed down from one generation to the next as a way of maintaining their family history and culture. Walker uses
Unfortunately, Mama has promised them to Maggie. Dee becomes disappointed and says, “Maggie would be
Dee breaks this rule by saying, “But they’re priceless!” Furiously; for she has a temper. “Maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they’d be in rags. Less than that!”(67). Dee is very upset that she is losing and as a result, she loses her temper and says mean things about maggie which mama is not ok with.
Whereas, Dee has said she would hang up the quilts and admire them from afar, while “‘[Maggie would] probably . . . put [the quilts] to everyday use’” (120). Rather than using the quilts as decoration, how Dee plans to use them, Maggie would genuinely use the quilts by loving and cherishing them until they are worn out. By using the quilts for what they are intended for, Maggie is respecting her grandma and other family members who put their time and effort into making the quilts. In the event that Maggie uses the quilts until they are completely worn out, she would be able to restore them since “‘Maggie knows how to quilt.’ . . .
Mama describes, ¨She has been like this; chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle ever since the fire that burned our other house to the ground.¨ This quote gives us a look into how Maggie being severely injured in the fire led Dee to some of the opportunities she was given. Maggie becoming shy and docile due to her injuries caused her to fall behind Dee and almost fade out of view when it comes to their family. Maggie wasn't given the opportunity to go to school and this allowed Dee to take the spotlight. Though she may not recognize this, it is obvious in the text that Maggie unintentionally sacrificed so much so Dee could become the person
When Dee arrives at her family home, she is dismissive of her mother's home, referring to it as a shack, and is critical of her sister, Maggie's appearance. Even though her family has a rich cultural heritage rooted in their African American history, her mother and sister value their origin's practical and functional aspects. This attitude shows a lack of appreciation for the practical and functional aspects of her culture, which are just as important as the artistic aspects. The conflict between the sisters is ultimately resolved when Mama decides to give the quilts to Maggie, who plans to use them in her everyday life rather than keep them as a symbol of her cultural heritage.
After Wangero asks for the quilts for the first time, Mama shares that she promised to give them to Maggie at her wedding. Upset by this response, Wangero quickly attempts to convince her mother that Maggie isn't worthy of having the quilts. In paragraph 12, Wangero claims “maggie can't appreciate the quilts” and “She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.” She was trying to appeal to her mother's love and attachment to the quilts. She wanted to explain to her mother that if she gave maggie the quilts, they would get ruined so instead she should let Wangero have them so they could be preserved.
Maggie uses the quilts to honor their memory because she and her mother view the quilts for daily use. On the other hand, Dee’s view on culture is seldomly influenced by her experiences. This is because when the house burnt down Dee watched it be engulfed with flames, and she hated the house so much she could care less if it burnt down. Dee detests everything about her family’s culture. One way she despised it was by finding the meaning of her culture that does not relate to her family.
This just shows that her disappreciation for quilts, which is not the only thing Dee does in the story. Dee also does not show respect to the families butter churn, as she took the top off of it just because it was nice rendering it useless. These act shows that education is not always the answer for your
These quilts are a ways of honoring her African American heritage and to be given these was very significant in their culture. For once Dee sees the historical background because of the stitching and material used, but doesn’t find any use in using them. Dee is going to try and convince her mom to let her keep the quilts, when Dee says, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts!” (Walker 721) and “You just will not understand. The point these quilts, these quilts!”
These items are part of Maggie’s wedding present, and she is connected and grounded to the part of herself and her family heritage which created them. Maggie and Dee are also alike in their tempers, although it takes much more to get Maggie angry than Dee. Dee is used to being deferred to and getting what she wants. She is beautiful and smart, and she takes matters into her own hands when they are not going her way (take the burning of the house she hated which scarred Maggie for instance). Maggie is not used to getting her way since her sister was always in the spotlight.
She found value in the aesthetic appeal of her heritage. During their meal, Dee mentioned that the chute would make for a good “centerpiece”, but her artistic venture did not end there, as Dee’s final move was to have the quilts to “hang them.” Even Maggie knew, or at least had an inkling, how Dee would use the quilt. Maggie “hung back in the kitchen” then their mother “heard something fall in the kitchen” , and later a “kitchen door slammed” immediately after Dee asked to have the quilts. Yet another instance of Dee shunning practicality was her vexed reaction to the machine stitched quilts.
The author uses imagery as one literary device to showcase the overall theme of the story. Mama describes the burning of their house, “as she watched the last dingy gray board of the house fall in toward the red-hot brick chimney,” (Walker, 487). Walker also uses imagery to describe the other characters, “It stands up straight like the wool on a sheep, (488). In the essay, “Walker’s Everyday Use” by John Gruesser, it states, “Mama frequently describes Maggie as a docile, somewhat frightened animal, one that accepts the hand that fate has dealt her and attempts to flee any
“Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts! She said. “she’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.” (walker). This shows that dee really wants the quilts but not for the reason her mother wants.
Ms. Johnson didn't have an education, yet she knew the value of the quilts and she didn’t let a few words from Dee change her decision of giving the quilts to Maggie. Dee leaves her mother’s house quite upset and tells her sister, “You ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie. It’s really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you’d never know it” (Walker 12).