Alice Walker Everyday Use Summary

Everyday use The significance of the title of Alice Walker’s “Everyday use”. Present an African American family who is well into their family heritage except the mother oldest daughter Ms. Dee, who is ashamed of her upbringing. Ms. Dee who has changed her name to Ms. Wagero said, “couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me”. She knew before she had left off to college that she wanted no part of her family and their cultural. Before departing for school her mother offered her quilts, dasher and other items that could be used daily, but those items held no value to Ms. Dee so she decline stating they were “old-fashioned, out of style”. However those everyday items held enormous values to mama and Maggie due to the items being hand craft by close relatives from over 50 plus years which was kept over time from generation to generation. It is crucial to understand that every cultural has their own way on how things are …show more content…
Anything can be in heritage. Heritage is defined as something that is or can be inherited; such as in culture, tradition, or something handed down to future generations, which adds more value to the items. The quilts was made in “Lone Stat pattetn” alone with “walk around the mountain patterns”, which is why Maggie wanted to keep the quilts for “everyday usage” such as keeping warm but her sister Ms. Wangero wanted to take the quilts for more of presenting a cultural or historical idea- something to show off to other as a part of her family background. Ms. Wangero think the quilts would be better as decorations, because they would be receiving “usage everyday” while hang on the wall. Anything things that are used every day can be in heritage and pass down from generation to the next generations such as painting, manuscripts, estate records and