“Alice Walker's early story “Everyday Use” is clustered around a central image: quilting and quilts. In this story, the two sisters, Maggie and Dee are very different” (Marton). Maggie is shy and uneducated, but Dee is outgoing and educated. However, even though they are different they are also similar.
Maggie and Dee are almost exact opposites of each other. “The conflict between Maggie and Dee (or, Wangero, as she prefers to be called) is about whether heritage exists in things or in spirit, or process” (Marton). Maggie is very shy and good-hearted. However, Dee is outgoing and confident. “The story starts with Mrs. Johnson's narration of her own state of mind and of Maggie's. She presumes to know Maggie's thoughts, but does not make the same presumption about Dee's thoughts” (Mullins). Part of the reason for Maggie's unattractiveness and shyness is from a fire that burned her as a child and left her with scars. “Unlike her sister …show more content…
However, being so different, the two sisters are also similar in a few ways. They both are interested in their heritage and want to learn more about it. Maggie stayed home to learn more about her heritage, while Dee went away to school to learn more about it. “While most readers see Mama and Maggie as having a "true" sense of heritage as opposed to Dee's false or shallow understanding of the past, both Mama and Dee are blind to particular aspects of heritage” (Farrell). Both sisters care tremendously for their mother and their mother cared deeply about both of them. However, she showed us more of the love she had for Dee than of the love she had for Maggie.. “In contrast to her own fearfulness, Mama, with grudging admiration, remembers Dee as a fearless girl.” (Farrell). Maggie and Dee want the quilts that were handmade by the narrator, her sister, and her mother.
In conclusion, the two sisters have many differences. However, they also have many
Maggie and Dee are almost exact opposites of each other. “The conflict between Maggie and Dee (or, Wangero, as she prefers to be called) is about whether heritage exists in things or in spirit, or process” (Marton). Maggie is very shy and good-hearted. However, Dee is outgoing and confident. “The story starts with Mrs. Johnson's narration of her own state of mind and of Maggie's. She presumes to know Maggie's thoughts, but does not make the same presumption about Dee's thoughts” (Mullins). Part of the reason for Maggie's unattractiveness and shyness is from a fire that burned her as a child and left her with scars. “Unlike her sister …show more content…
However, being so different, the two sisters are also similar in a few ways. They both are interested in their heritage and want to learn more about it. Maggie stayed home to learn more about her heritage, while Dee went away to school to learn more about it. “While most readers see Mama and Maggie as having a "true" sense of heritage as opposed to Dee's false or shallow understanding of the past, both Mama and Dee are blind to particular aspects of heritage” (Farrell). Both sisters care tremendously for their mother and their mother cared deeply about both of them. However, she showed us more of the love she had for Dee than of the love she had for Maggie.. “In contrast to her own fearfulness, Mama, with grudging admiration, remembers Dee as a fearless girl.” (Farrell). Maggie and Dee want the quilts that were handmade by the narrator, her sister, and her mother.
In conclusion, the two sisters have many differences. However, they also have many