Notes on Everyday Use by Alice Walker
Biographical Context: Alice Walker and "Womanism"
Author Credentials: Alice Walker was born in . She achieved significant literary fame with her Pulitzer Prize-winning epistolary novel, The Color Purple (), which was later adapted into a popular film in .
Background: A native of Eatonton, Georgia, Walker was the youngest of eight children in a family of impoverished farmers. She received a scholarship to Spelman College in Atlanta and later graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in New York in .
Literary Career: She began as a poet and eventually published six volumes of poetry. Her prose work includes notable novels like The Temple of My Familiar () and Possessing the Secret of Joy (), the latter of which addresses the practice of female circumcision in African tribes.
Ideology: Walker is credited with coining the term "womanist," which refers to the specific feminist concerns of Black women.
"Everyday Use": Published in , this story serves as a piece of realistic social critique and a satire on traditional fables, specifically the "city mouse and country mouse" motif.
Introduction to the Narrator: Mama’s Physicality and Internal Life
The Setting (The Yard): The story opens with the narrator and her daughter Maggie preparing their yard. The narrator treats the yard as an extension of the living room, meticulously cleaning and smoothing the clay and sand to create a comfortable outdoor space.
Internal Monologue and Dreams: The narrator describes a recurring dream where she and her daughter Dee are reunited on a television talk show similar to The Tonight Show hosted by Johnny Carson. In the dream, she is the idealized version of a mother that she believes Dee wants: lighter-skinned, thin, and witty.
The Reality of the Narrator: In reality, the narrator is a "large, big-boned woman" who performs heavy manual labor. She describes her ability to kill and clean hogs, work outside in freezing temperatures (), and perform tasks traditionally associated with men. She recalls knocking a bull calf unconscious with a sledgehammer and once being injured by a cow during milking in .
Self-Perception: She is aware of her lack of education, noting that her school closed in when Black students were discouraged from questioning authority. She views herself as having a "slow tongue" and being unable to look white people in the eye, contrasting herself with Dee's boldness.
Contrast in Character: Maggie’s Trauma and Seclusion
Physical Appearance: Maggie is described as thin and lame, walking with a shuffling gait similar to a wounded animal. She is deeply self-conscious about the burn scars that run down her arms and legs.
Psychological State: Maggie lives in a state of envy and awe of her sister, Dee. She believes the world has never said the word "no" to Dee. She is shy, often hiding behind doors or in corners, and stumbles through her reading due to poor eyesight.
The Fire: Maggie received her scars to years prior when the family’s previous home burned down. The narrator vividly recalls the house fire—the smell of Maggie's hair smoking and her dress falling off in flakes. In contrast to Maggie's suffering, she remembers Dee standing safely under a tree, watching the house consume itself with a look of intense concentration.
Dee (Wangero): Education, Ambition, and Stylistic Evolution
Early Ambition: Even as a youth, Dee was determined and stylish. She wanted expensive clothing and had a sharp, sometimes "scalding" wit that intimidated her peers.
Education as a Barrier: The narrator and their church raised money to send Dee to school in Augusta. Upon her return, Dee would read to her mother and sister in a way that felt oppressive, as if she were forcing knowledge and "other folks' habits" upon them rather than sharing it.
Relationship with Home: Dee hated their old house, and the narrator suspects she will feel similarly about their current home in the pasture, which features a tin roof and shuttered holes instead of glass windows. Dee once wrote that she would visit her mother and sister but would never bring her friends to see where they lived.
The Visit: Physical Appearance and Ideological Clashes
Arrival: Dee arrives with a short, stocky man with long hair and a beard that Maggie describes as resembling a mule's tail.
Dee’s New Persona: Dee has undergone a transformation. She wears a long, brightly colored African-style dress and heavy gold jewelry. Her hair is styled in a way that stands straight up with pigtails.
Name Change: Dee informs her mother that she has changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. She claims "Dee" is dead because she can no longer bear being named after "the people who oppress me."
Ancestry Debate: The narrator attempts to explain the family history of the name, noting Dee was named after her Aunt Dicie, who was named after Grandma Dee, tracing it back through generations to the Civil War. Wangero remains dismissive, focusing on the African roots she has adopted.
The Companion: Dee’s companion, whom the narrator calls "Hakim-a-barber," is not a farmer. He declines to eat pork or collard greens for religious or ideological reasons, while Wangero enthusiastically eats the traditional soul food.
The Material Culture of the Johnson Household
Aestheticization of Property: During the meal, Wangero begins to view everyday household items as artistic artifacts. She admires the hand-carved benches made by her father and focuses on the butter churn in the corner.
The Churn and Dasher: Wangero requests the top of the churn and the dasher. Maggie clarifies that they were carved by their Uncle Buddy and a man named Henry (Stash). Wangero plans to use the churn top as a centerpiece for her table and find something "artistic" to do with the dasher.
Tactile History: The narrator notes the "sinks" or indentations in the yellow wood of the dasher, formed by years of hands pushing it up and down—physical evidence of the family's labor.
The Conflict Over the Quilts: Function vs. Aesthetics
The Quilts: Wangero discovers two quilts in a trunk. These quilts were hand-stitched by Grandma Dee, Big Dee, and the narrator. They contain pieces of clothing worn by ancestors, including Grandpa Jarrell's shirts and a scrap from Great Grandpa Ezra's Civil War uniform.
Patterns: The quilts feature the "Lone Star" and "Walk Around the Mountain" patterns.
The Dispute: Wangero demands the quilts, but the narrator reveals she has already promised them to Maggie for when she marries John Thomas.
Perspective on Usage:
Wangero's View: She is horrified that Maggie might put them to "everyday use," arguing they are "priceless" and should be hung on a wall like art.
Narrator and Maggie's View: The narrator hopes Maggie will use them. When Wangero argues they will turn to rags in five years, the narrator points out that Maggie knows how to quilt and can make more.
Maggie's Reaction: Resigned to always losing, Maggie tells her mother that Dee can have the quilts, stating she can remember her grandmother without the physical objects.
Resolution: A Shift in Family Power Dynamics
The Epiphany: Looking at Maggie's humility and her scarred hands, the narrator experiences a spiritual moment of clarity. She refuses to give in to Dee's demands.
The Act of Defiance: For the first time, the narrator stands up to Dee, snatching the quilts from her hands and placing them in Maggie's lap. She tells Dee to take one of the other machine-stitched quilts instead.
Departure: Dee leaves in anger, telling the narrator that she does not understand her own "heritage." She tells Maggie she should try to "make something" of herself in a "new day" for Black people.
Final Scene: After Dee leaves, the narrator and Maggie sit together in the yard, enjoying the quiet moment and their dip of snuff, content in their lifestyle and their shared connection to the past.
Project Overview: Analyze "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker and reimagine it through a different medium or altered context. Project Components: 1. Close Reading & Literary Analysis - Select the short story "Everyday Use" for analysis. - Identify a quote from the text for interpretation. - For example, a quote that reflects the clash in beliefs between Dee (Wangero) and Mama about cultural heritage and identity. - Include the quote in your presentation with MLA in-text citation. 2. Creative Adaptation - Reinterpret "Everyday Use" through a creative piece that captures: - Description (think imagery/five senses) - New insight into the characters' dynamics and cultural significance - Examination of Walker’s themes of heritage, identity, and family bonds - Documentation in MLA format 3. Ideas for Interpretation: - Graphic Novel Excerpt: Illustrate key scenes that showcase the conflict between Mama, Maggie, and Dee. - Short Film Scene or Screenplay: Create a 3-5 minute scene focusing on the pivotal moment of the quilt argument. - Visual Art: Design a piece that symbolizes the contrasting views on heritage represented by the quilts. - Musical Composition: Compose a song or score that reflects the emotional journey of the characters. - Fashion: Create a fashion line inspired by the cultural elements within the story. - Games: Develop a game that explores themes of heritage and personal identity. Requirement: The adaptation must reflect the literary analysis of the selected text. 4. Deliverables: - Selection: Include the quote(s) and images related to your project on PowerPoint slides. MLA format is necessary. - Project: Present your creative interpretation of "Everyday Use." - Presentation: You will have 3-5 minutes to present the project, explain key points, and answer questions. * Submit project (slides) to dropbox.
Project Overview: Analyze "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker and reimagine it through a different medium or altered context. Project Components: 1. Close Reading & Literary Analysis - Select the short story "Everyday Use" for analysis. - Identify a quote from the text for interpretation. - For example, a quote that reflects the clash in beliefs between Dee (Wangero) and Mama about cultural heritage and identity could be: "Dee is dead. I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me." - Include the quote in your presentation with MLA in-text citation (Walker, 1973). 2. Creative Adaptation - Reinterpret "Everyday Use" through a creative piece that captures: - Description (think imagery/five senses) - New insight into the characters' dynamics and cultural significance - Examination of Walker’s themes of heritage, identity, and family bonds - Documentation in MLA format 3. Ideas for Interpretation: - Graphic Novel Excerpt: Illustrate key scenes that showcase the conflict between Mama, Maggie, and Dee, focusing on the quilt argument and the emotional intensity of their interactions. - Short Film Scene or Screenplay: Create a 3-5 minute scene focusing on the pivotal moment of the quilt argument, highlighting Maggie's resignation and Mama's newfound assertiveness. - Visual Art: Design a piece that symbolizes the contrasting views on heritage represented by the quilts, perhaps incorporating elements of both the family’s past and Dee’s new identity. - Musical Composition: Compose a song or score that reflects the emotional journey of the characters, integrating elements of African American musical traditions. - Fashion: Create a fashion line inspired by the cultural elements within the story, focusing on materials and styles that reflect the characters’ backgrounds and the story’s themes. - Games: Develop a game that explores themes of heritage and personal identity, allowing players to navigate choices reflecting the characters' dilemmas. Requirement: The adaptation must reflect the literary analysis of the selected text. 4. Deliverables: - Selection: Include the quote(s) and images related to your project on PowerPoint slides. MLA format is necessary. - Project: Present your creative interpretation of "Everyday Use." - Presentation: You will have 3-5 minutes to present the project, explain key points, and answer questions. * Submit project (slides) to dropbox.
In Alice Walker's story "Everyday Use," the quote "Dee is dead. I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me" reflects Dee's desire to reject her heritage and reclaim her identity. This powerful statement signifies her frustration with being named after family members whose lives were intertwined with oppression. Dee's renunciation of her birth name and her assertion of the name Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo symbolize her attempt to embrace a new identity that she associates with empowerment and cultural connection. However, this conflict highlights the differing perceptions of heritage between Dee and her mother, who feels a deep connection to their family history and the value of everyday uses of their cultural artifacts rather than their commodification as art. The clash illustrates the story's central theme of the complexities surrounding identity, heritage, and familial bonds.