It really is a coincidence that both Maggies in these stories have physical deformities. Maggie in “Everyday Use” has burned scars due to the fire that ate their house while Maggie in “Recitatif” is bow-legged and is probably mute and deaf. Both Maggies in both stories are oppressed and subjugated because of their incapability to speak up. Maggie in “Everyday Use” is afraid to speak up because of her lack of knowledge while Maggie in “Recitatif” can’t speak up because of her inability to speak. These Maggies affected the characters Mama in “Everyday Use” and Twyla and Roberta in “Recitatif”. At the end, Mama realizes that as a mother, she has the power to change how Maggie sees the world. Right after the epiphany, Mama did the right thing by
