Mother-Daughter Relationships In Mother And Mama In Everyday Use

Mother and daughter relationships have been the subject of comparisons throughout the years in both literature and reality. In most of these instances, there are characteristics that the two in question share, and some qualities that are in direct opposition. Dee and Mama in “Everyday Use” are no exception. They have similarities that no doubt, Dee inherited or learned from her mother and they have stark differences that have developed over time. Dee and Mama differ in many ways such as the levels of their education and femininity with Mama almost longing to be more like her daughter. They also share traits like their desire to succeed through hard work, even though their definition of success is quite diverse and their ability to exert dominance …show more content…
For example, when Mama describes how Dee gets out of the car saying that she recognized her by her feet as though God had designed them with style. She is wearing a long bright colored dress that flows all the way to the ground along with golden earrings and bracelets. The narrator (Mama) describes Dee as have great knowledge of style. In deep contrast, the mother describes herself almost as if she were a man. She tells us that she is a big boned woman who has rough skinned man hands, and instead of a dress, she wears overalls. It is clear to the audience when reading “Everyday Use “that Dee doesn’t even sound as though she was raised by her mother. It is also apparent that Mama is in awe of her daughter’s style and fashion …show more content…
Dee has a lot of confidence because of how far she has gone and her education. Her superior attitude was easy because she had been fortunate in all she tried. The mother had confidence because of her life skills but she does not recognize it as a strength. Dee had a level of intimidation over mother until the end of the story. Mama’s confidence level builds throughout the story. The mother said she dreamed of having her daughter tell her how much she appreciated everything that had been done for her. It appeared that this was never going to happen based on the daughter’s past actions. Towards the end of the story, Dee starts taking objects from the house. She realizes the value of her heritage. This is what Mama needed to know that she had done right by Dee and it gave Mama the confidence she needed to stand up for her younger daughter. Both women have earned this level of superiority although Mama had never realized or exerted her dominance until the end of the