Everyday Use by Alice Walker the Thematic Term Paper

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Everyday Use by Alice Walker

The thematic richness of "Everyday Use" is made possible by the perceptive, and flexible voice of the first-person narrator. It is the mother's viewpoint that permits the reader to understand both Dee and Maggie. Seen from a distance, both young women seem stereotypical - one a smart but rather ruthless college girl, the other a sweet but ineffectual homebody. The close scrutiny of the mother redeems Dee and Maggie, as characters, from triteness.

In addition to the skillful use of the viewpoint, "Everyday Use" is enriched with the development of symbols by Alice Walker. Through careful descriptions and settings of the characters in the story, Walker confronts the question of what is the true value of one's culture and heritage. In the conflict between Dee and her mother, Walker shows that one's culture and heritage is not represented by the external appearances or possession of objects, but by one's attitude and lifestyle.

Comparison of Characters

In "Everyday Use," Walker personifies different sides of culture and heritage in the characters of Dee and Maggie.

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Dee represents a complex, materialistic, and modern way of life where heritage and culture are only to be valued for their aesthetics and trendy-ness. She was always contemptuous of her family's way of life and always appeared to be far away from her family after joining her college. She even changed her name from "Dee" to "Wangero," which showed her attitude towards her culture and heritage, and reflecting a flashy, artificial pretense put on to fake sophistication.

On the other hand, Maggie, who was not a bright, clever person but was always more intimidated by her glamorous sibling. She even bore severe burn scars from a house fire many years before. Furthermore, the actions and speech of the characters also define their roles in the story. Dee has been portrayed to be parasitic, greedy, aggressive, and self-serving, to the point of total disregard for her family. By….....

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