Indirect Characterization In Everyday Use By Alice Walker

Theme appearing in many stories and helps the reader to understand the central idea of the stories. Throughout the story, author using direct and indirect characterization to show the characters in order to express the theme of the story. Direct characterization is shown that a character’s traits are told to us by the narrator or another character. Indirect characterization is express in a way of a character’s traits are shown through their actions and “reading between the line” of what they say. “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker is a short story that emphasizes the different point of views of heritage individually. This story is a type of drama, within the conversation and action to show the regard of the heritage and what their roots are. The three main characters are …show more content…
The story is leading by Mama whose though relate to the whole story. Maggie is considering to a shy and unattractive girl. In contrast, Dee has better education, yet full of ambition and confidence. When Dee go back home, the reader can tell that Dee is a greedy woman. She tries to take the quilts for her own. From mama’s point of view, heritage should be put in everyday use and passing down. However, Dee seen these quilts as display in museum because she thinks they are priceless. The theme of this story is that the meaning of heritage could be various through different views and it could be shown through the both direct and indirect characterization of mama, the direct characterization of Dee, and both direct and indirect characterization of Maggie.
The author uses direct characterization of Dee to show the meaning of heritage in Dee’s