Difference of Two Sisters in “Everyday Use” Essay - 709 Words

In the short story â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker, the two main characters, Maggie and Dee, are sisters who are very opposite to each other. Throughout the story, the girl’s differences become evident through their physical appearances, personalities, lifestyle decisions, and the way they feel about their heritage. Maggie and Dee have completely different physical appearances than each other. Maggie has a thin body figure, and her arms and legs are scarred from the house fire. Maggie is jealous of Dee’s beauty, and she seems to be ashamed of the way she looks. Mama says, â€Å"Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eyeing her†¦show more content†¦Dee on the other hand, represents more of a modern, complex, materialistic way of life. She moves to the city to become educated. She is ashamed of where she comes from. In a letter mama receives, Dee writes â€Å"no matter where we ‘choose’ to live, she will manage to come see us† (Walker 281). Furthermore, when she comes home to visit she tells mama that she has changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo because â€Å"I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me† (Walker 282). The two sisters, Maggie and Deem have different opinions about their heritage. To Maggie, heritage is everything around her that is involved in her everyday life. Whereas, Dee believes that her mother’s family heirlooms are to frame on the wall, or display, as a reminder of her family history. Maggie proves her knowledge of her heritage while the family is having lunch together. When Dee asks her mama if she can have the churn top and a dasher that was made by Uncle Buddy, Maggie corrected her by saying, â€Å"Aunt Dee’s first husband whittled the dash. . . . His name was Henry, but they call him Stashâ₠¬  (Walker 283). Maggie shows that she knows her heritage by knowing the family members name along with personal detail. Additionally, when Dee asks â€Å"Can I have these old quilts?† she can not name the family member that made them (Walker 284). Maggie is standing by the door andShow MoreRelatedSibling Comparison of Everyday Use1055 Words   |  5 PagesSibling Similar Differences â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker tells a story of a mother who narrators the visit of her daughter from college and the conflict between her two daughters. The mother, named Mrs. Johnson, gives descriptions of her daughters’, Dee and Maggie, personality and looks, and each daughter description is opposite of each other. Additionally, Mrs. Johnson describes each daughter’s education level, which also differs. The only hidden similarity between these two sisters is the fact eachRead MoreExamples Of Sibling Rivalry In Everyday Use By Alice Walker703 Words   |  3 PagesThere are many things that get everyday use, and there are other things that should be use more lightly. In the short story â€Å"Everyday Use† this is a debated topic and one of the main themes of the story. The story is about a small family a mom and her two children, her two daughter are on completely opposite sides of the spectrum. These differences are the cause of the cause of the ma in conflict in the story. It is stated in an article by Nini Yang that â€Å"The differences among humans is what causes conflict†(Yang)Read More Alice Walker’s Short Story Everyday Use Essay905 Words   |  4 PagesAlice Walker’s Short Story â€Å"Everyday Use† In Alice Walker’s short story â€Å"Everyday Use,† tells us a story of two daughters’, Dee and Maggie Johnson, with different ideas about their identities and values. 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Afterwards, the mother explained that ,she used to read to us without pity, forcing words, lies, other folk s habitsRead MoreEveryday Use - the Gift of Family945 Words   |  4 Pages Everyday Use is a short story that teaches a value lesson of heritage, inheritance, the past, and one’s family. For some the lesson maybe perceived as an illustration to develop the natural instinct of valuing our family and our past as objects of everyday use. However, the lesson that Alice Walker conveys to her readers is to understand that the value of heritage is within the eye of the beholder. Within this paper I will explain the strategies; I think the writer uses to convey particularRead MoreThe Two Sisters In Two Ways To Belong In America822 Words   |  4 PagesArgumentative Synthesis Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people see the world and others differently. 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For example, It has beenRead More Everyday Use by Alice Walker Essay643 Words   |  3 PagesEveryday Use by Alice Walker In the story Everyday Use, by Alice Walker, the value of ones culture and heritage are defined as a part of life that should not be looked upon as history but as a living existence of the past. Walker writes of the conflict between two Black cultures. Dee and Maggie are sisters whom do not share the same ideals. Mama is torn between two children with different perspectives of what life truly means. In the story, Walker describes the trial and tribulationsRead More Everyday Use Essay624 Words   |  3 PagesRR: â€Å"Everyday Use† My Sister, My Enemy Often siblings are brought up in the same environment and turn out completely different. This is the case in Alice Walkers, â€Å"Everyday Use†. Although two sisters, Maggie and Dee, are raised by the same woman and in the same home, their similarities end here. Both are different in their appearance, personalities, and ideas about family heritage. Each having opposing views on value and worth of the various items in their lives. Walker uses this conflict toRead MoreSeparating the Flames of Reality Essay577 Words   |  3 Pages In Alice Walkers short story, Everyday Use, Wangero could have thought: Ashes to Ashes. Dust to Dust. Once the house burned, it, and its history is dead--lost in the flames-- the joy in a new start, a new life, a new name must have made Wangero want to dance around the ashes (66) of the house. Dee did in fact change her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. When her mother asked her why she didnt use her name anymore Wangero answered: Shes dead, I couldnt bear it any longer being