As she goes into detail about each piece of garment stitched into the quilt, it becomes clear that, to Mama, the quilt represents an extensive family history, extending as far back as the Civil War. The quilts had already been promised to Maggie, for when she gets married, moves out, and starts a new life, so giving Dee the quilts was not part of the equation. To be fair, she does authorize Wangero to take the other quilts, to which she…
Or will these quilts belong to Maggie, who may “put them on the bed and in five years they’d be in rags” (245)? But they are important to her too, because when she heard Wangero asking to have them, she came from the kitchen and was standing in the door. For Maggie they are priceless because of the people who created them. It was her grandmother, aunt and mother who made them. But it’s in Maggie nature to always give up.…
and she's had enough. So the mom ends up giving Maggie the quilts, knowing that she will use them and treasure them so much more than Dee ever would of. In Everyday Use, by Alice Walker, Dee says, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts! She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.” (1319). Dee wasn’t even going to use the quilts, she would’ve just took them and kept them in a closet or something.…
Dee the daughter believes that she understands the history about the quilt, when in fact she is actually clueless. Dee wanted to display the quilt as a piece of history on the wall. During that time, the mother believes that Maggie ought to have the quilt as opposed to Dee. Maggie, the other daughter stayed at home and that she has a better understanding of the quilt, which was, more than a piece of art to the mother. Dee believes that her mother and Maggie are clueless about family heritage, when in fact that is it Dee herself who is inform about…
After dinner, Dee takes notice of some quilts that her mama and grandmother made and took an extreme interest in them and asked mama if she can have them. Mama told Dee that the quilts were for Maggie when she moves away with her husband, which instantly…
From the beginning Dee's mother is painfully aware of the different attributes between her daughters, and in some respect finds it easy to love Maggie because Maggie is vulnerable and most like her, but struggles to love and find common ground with Dee because Dee is brave, beautiful, and smart, so unlike her in many respects. Contrastingly, Dee is aware that she is different from her mother and sister, and she feels that they don't understand or appreciate her. Also in reference to Dee's name change, Dee's mother viewed the act as a rejection of her and all of the family matriarchal namesakes that bestowed the name as a sense of family pride to future generations; whereas, Dee, viewed the name change as liberating and as a way of reclaiming her true cultural identity. Lastly, the quilt was viewed by the mother as just an everyday quilt that she promised to her daughter, Maggie; especially after Dee scoffed at the old quilts when initially offered to her by her mother. However, to Dee, the quilt served as a symbolic representation of the family heritage.…
Maggie could be heard in the next room dropping dishes and pans when Dee asked for the beloved quilts. Maggie shows just how much she cares by stating "I can 'member Grandma Dee without the quilts. " It was never about the actual quilt itself, but about the frail hands that handstitched every ragged piece together. It is very clear that Maggie loves where she came from. Dee, on the other hand, is superficial in her "love" for heritage and family history.…
When Dee attempted to take the quilts, her main cry was that they were made from her grandmother’s clothes, but she discredited her own argument when she changed her name. Dee also disrespects her family’s traditions when she says, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts” (Walker 320). This is invalid, because Maggie learned how to quilt herself from the teachings of her Aunt Dee, and her grandmother Dee. Dee also dismounted her argument because Mama had offered her a quilt when she left for college, and she claimed that they were old-fashioned, and out of style. From her furious actions, it seems as if Dee was trying to have the quilts in her possession, so she could sell them.…
Dee feels that the quilts are supposed to be for show, as she says, "Hang them.” (Walker 2), she suggests that her value for the quilts is to keep them from getting messed up. Dee’s opinion about the quilts does not change her heritage, it just alters her individuality and mindset about what to do with them. To Dee they are meant for display, unlike Maggie who uses them as part of her daily routine.…
Dee wanted use quilt the as art Maggie wanted to the quilt for everyday use (Pg 172, paragraph 61)These are all pieces of dresses Grandma used to wear. She did all this stitching by hand. Imag' ine!" She held the quilts securely in her arms, stroking…
She insists the mother gives the quilts to her and argues, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts! she said. She’d probably be backwards enough to put them to everyday use”(320). What wangero fails to realize is that the quilts were created with the intention of being put to “everyday use”. Maggie learned to quilt from her grandmother who had created the quilts, and thus would be more likely to use these quilts every night and think of her family and those who made it and the memories they shared, whereas Dee would hang them up on a wall somewhere until they were no longer in style.…
The reason in which these two quilts cause so many issues among the family is because they were originally designated to go to Maggie, the younger, less recognized daughter. In fact, this conflict, and many of the underlying issues are what inspired Alice Walker to name this story ‘Everyday Uses’ such as the differing interpretations, the balance of power, and the evolving traditions and heritage of the family. ‘Everyday Uses’ can be interpreted in many different ways, similar to how the characters of the story displayed conflicting interpretations of the use of the treasured quilts can often provide one of many explanations of the curious title by Alice Walker. While the family members were fighting over who deserved the quilts, some of the reasoning that Dee ‘deserved’ it was because she would be able to care properly for under her direction. While this statement was already making the fight worse, she also said that Maggie would not be able to care for it, and would only use it for everyday use.…
Mother-Daughter Torment In Stephen Crane’s novella “Maggie, A Girl of the Streets”, the abundant examples of situational and dramatic irony highlights the personalities of the characters, characterizes individuals, and contributes to the development of the mother-daughter relationship between Mary and Maggie making it easier to relate to the characters and their problems. Mary develops as an ironic character in her nature as a mother and a drunk alcoholic. On the other hand, Maggie believes that despite her unfortunate childhood she can escape her mother and overcome poverty with hope for a real future. Her aspiration for a better life remains unimpaired throughout most of the novella.…
Even though both girls are justifiable and worthy of the quilts, the characters have complete and separate ways of how they would use them. Dee wants to hang them on her wall because she respects them in a different manner than Maggie. “She ‘d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use” (par. 66), said Dee. At this point I did respect how she wanted to keep the quilts looking the same.…
When the mother characterizes Maggie’s reaction toward her sister wanting to have the quilts for herself “Maggie by now was standing in the door. I could almost hear the sound of her feet made as they scraped over each other. ”(99)These quilts were Maggie’s portion, however Dee insists on wanting them. Maggie offers Dee the quilts .This shows how Maggie is better than Dee, as she has much stronger sense of family connection and kinship than Dee can experience as she does not need the quilts to remember her family’s heritage. Maggie is basically like her mother who believes in the traditions of family and seeking to pass on her family 's heritage without getting affected by the white people and what they think of…