Maggie and Dee in Everyday Use Essay

Nothing But Our Mother In Common

When two children are brought up in the same house and environment one would thing that they would have at least one comparable quality. In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," however, this is not the case. Maggie and Dee only shared on thing in common and that was their mother, which made them sisters. They differ in appearance, personality, and the meaning of family history.

Maggie, a thin and awkward built young lady did not compare to as their mother said a nicer hair and a fuller figure Dee. (65) Furthermore, she carries herself like someone who has either low self-esteem or low self-confidence, "chin on chest, eyes on ground". (65) Dee is lighter than Maggie (65) and does not show lake of self esteem or self confidence. She takes pride in the her appearance. She has had style since she was young and it carried over into adulthood. It shows when Dee gets out of the car for her visit her mother says, "Even her feet were always neat-looking" (66).

Besides Maggie and Dee differences in appearance, they also have different but unique personalities. In the begin of the story she is very nervous about her sister's visit. In fact, Dee's arrival makes Maggie so uncomfortable that she attempts to make a dash for the house, in her shuffling way, but I stay her with my hand. says her mother. (66) This shows that Maggie is intimidated and afraid of what Dee might say or do. Maggie is also an unselfish person, who ultimately does not stand up to Dee about the quilts she and her mother handmade but did it because she did not want to have a fight with her sister. Dee, on the other hand is a courageous and straightforward young woman. As a young girl, Dee was never afraid to express herself. Her mother remembers that "she would always look anyone in the eye. Hesitation was no part of her nature" (65). Dee also showed to be selfish person when she sets her sights on the butter churn. It seems that Dee does not care that her family is still using the churn. She states that she will "use the churn top as a centerpiece for the alcove table, and do something artistic with the dasher" (68).

With Maggie and Dee appearances and personalities being so different; one would think that when it came to family values and history they would share this in common. Which indeed they do but for different reasons. Maggie values her family quilts because she has a sentimental connection to them. She knows that they are suppose to be used daily and to take great care of them. For this reason her mother had been saving the quilts for Maggie to use after she is married to John Thomas. Maggie says, "I can 'member them without the quilts" (69) Dee also values their family quilts. The quilts to Dee are something that is suppose to be displayed for everyone to see not use on a daily basis. When going off to college Dees mother tried to give her a blanket and she turned it down saying that it was old fashioned, out of style.(69) So something about going off to college had brought Dee closer to the awareness of a part of a heritage. She showed this by the ethnic clothes she was wearing and the change of name from Dee to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo When her mother ask what happened to Dee? she says she is dead I couldnt bear it any longer, being maned after the people who oppress me. (67) Although she is in touch with a heritage, it clear that it is not her familys heritage. Dee believes that she is the only person that can take the quilts and appreciate their value and purpose. She thinks that Maggie will be backward enough to put them to everyday use(69) because she thinks that they are priceless.

Throughout the story of Everyday Use by Alice Walker, Ms.Walker seemed to be expressing her relationship with perhaps an older sister. She explains that Maggie had a very bad ordeal with the fire as she did with the BB gun accident that made her blind in one eye. She says how the scares were down Maggies legs and arms. She also explains the differences of the sisters in details. That Maggie is awkward and unattractive, while Dee is confident and beautiful. While Maggie is happy with her simple life, Dee wants to have an lavish lifestyle at whatever the cost is. Also, that Maggie is nervous and intimidated by Dee, who, is straightforward and selfish. Lastly that Maggie values the sentiment of the family quilts, while Dee wants her heritage to decorate her house. Walker has shown that this two sister although raised in the same environment are individuals that has taken a different paths in life but still are sisters.

Work Cited

Walker, Alicia. "Everyday Use." Literature- An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing 5th ed. Eds Gioia, Diana and X.J Kennedy. Pearson-Longman, 2007. 64-70.