In the short story, "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, symbolism is riddled all throughout the text. To highlight just a few, symbolism is used to distinguish the physical attributes between the two sisters, Maggie and Dee, to note a death and/or embracing of identity, and to symbolize an inanimate object as a physical manifestation of heritage. For example, in describing the sister's attributes, Maggie is described as "a lame dog", lacking physical beauty, lacking intellect, or lacking ambition. Whereas, Dee is described as "holding the world in the palm of her hand, possessing physical beauty, possessing great intellect, and unbridled ambition. Another example of symbolism in the story occurs when Dee declares the death by rejecting her birth
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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. Therefore, it is no surprise that possession of the quilts became a point of contention between mother and daughter, Dee. Scholars reason that, 'Dee sees the quilt as a reflection of herself, meaning just like the quilt, it has never been recognized or appreciated for its worth' (Whitsitt, S.,
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. Therefore, it is no surprise that possession of the quilts became a point of contention between mother and daughter, Dee. Scholars reason that, 'Dee sees the quilt as a reflection of herself, meaning just like the quilt, it has never been recognized or appreciated for its worth' (Whitsitt, S.,