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Everyday Use is a short story written by African American author and poet Alice Walker. The plot tells about the lives of a single mother and her two daughters, Dee (Wangero) and Maggie. It focuses on the struggles and conflicts within the African American community and the path to reclaiming their ancestral culture. The latter is further illustrated through Wangero visiting her mother with her partner and addressing the topic in the conversation.
Mama assesses her and her daughters’ past, surprised by the amount of time that has passed since then. The woman and her younger daughter, Maggie, wait for their family member to visit them. Soon, she is startled by the changes in Wangero’s personality and opinions. The eldest daughter and her partner, Asalamalakim, are now focused on reclaiming their ancestral culture, advising Mama to do the same.
The reason why I consider Everyday Use to be the best short story is because it encourages its readers to improve themselves as people. Through Dee and Asalamalakim, it provides a better understanding of the role cultural heritage plays in people’s lives. The story also strongly emphasizes the importance of family values. This perspective is something Nazrullah Mambol supports while understanding Wangero’s new point of view (“Her mother and sister… understand the significance of family.”).
In her narration, Mama’s imaginary scenario, where she is invited to a show with her daughters, is used to provide a brief depiction of their connection. The imagery used in the story emphasizes the role a good relationship between her, Dee and Maggie plays in her life (“You’ve no doubt seen those shows where the child who has “made it” is confronted, as a surprise, by her own mother and father,” “the child wraps them in her arms”). The woman expects to be a good parent to her children. This is something the main character sees as a valuable goal.
The introduction of the characters starts with similes to provide the readers with a more vivid idea of what the people in the story are like visually and characteristically. Mama sees herself as a very tough person who can easily fend for herself (“I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as man,” “man-working hands”). However, one of her daughters, Maggie, is instantly depicted as her polar opposite (“Have you ever seen a lame animal? Perhaps, a dog run over by some careless person…That is the way my Maggie walks”). Dee is depicted as far more harsh and assertive than her sister.
With hyperboles, the narrator emphasizes her psychological and physical strength. That way, she explains her capability to overcome any difficulties in life (“I can work outside all day,” “I can eat pork liver cooked over the open fire minutes after it comes steaming from the hog”). However, Mama acknowledges that this kind of personality was not accepted by society at that time. This does not concern her much, for her daughters’ well-being is more valuable. It is clear that this woman would do anything to ensure that her daughters are happy and loved.
Works Cited
Mambrol, Nasrullah. “Analysis of Alice Walker’s Everyday Use”, 24 May, 2021. Literary Theory and Criticism.
Walker, Alice. Everyday Use. Rutgers University Press, 1994.
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