The Importance Of Education In Everyday Use By Alice Walker

The stories of Richard Rodriguez and Dee shine a light on how education can change an individual perspectives on life. Alice Walker, the author of Everyday Use describes in little details on how education change Dee’s life compare to Richard Rodriguez , The Achievement of Desire; he gives more detail information on when he realize education separated him from his family life. Rodriguez refers to himself as a scholarship boy; a boy who separates the classroom from his home life. Dee story was told from her mother perspective but gives the reader enough information on how education changes Dee. Rodriguez and Dee share similarities in their desire for education and how education separate their life from their family but differs in how they care and speak to their family. Rodriguez desire for education separated him from his family. Growing up in a Mexican household, Rodriguez’s parents had little schooling. His mother receive a high school diploma but could hardly speak English and his father started in the workforce at an early age. Rodriguez stated “For both my parents, however, reading was something done out of necessity and as quickly as possible.” (Rodriguez 347). Rodriguez read for pleasure and the desire of knowledge; he wanted to be like his educators. Rodriguez remembered how eager he was to share his knowledge with his parents. In …show more content…
Rodriguez did not speak to his family with anger because he was changing but became to accept his family. Rodriguez stated, “I became a conventionally dutiful son, politely affectionate enough…” (Rodriguez 342). In contrast to Rodriguez, Dee spoke to her family with dismay. Dee wanted the quilts her grandmother handmade but Mama told her the quilts were for her sister Maggie, she became angry. Mama stated “Dee (Wangero) looked at me with hatred. ‘You just will not understand. The point is these quilts, these