Eric Garcia
Prof. Camila Alvarez
ENC 1102 TR 5:30-7:00
12 July 2015
684 Words
Characterization Essay: Dee’s False Reality.
Almost every person who claim Mexican heritage on Cinco de Mayo literally want to be more Mexican than a blue agave tequila bottle. Most of which, truly fail in understanding the cultural importance of the valuable date, rather than celebrating for its music and liquor. Such as Dee wanting to redo her heritage and focus on the cultural heirlooms and fashionable, rather than on what really matters about it. In Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” Dee deeply fails to know her true identity, rejecting her family name, culture style and heritage.
When Dee comes home to visit her family she rejects the name Dee and changes her name to Wangero ,because she understand that the name has no historical value of her African-American culture. When her mother ask what happened to her “Dee” (Walker), she replied “She’s dead. I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me” (Walker). However, mama states “You know as well as me you was named after your aunt Dicie” (Walker). Dee’s name is actually a true connection to her real heritage, as it was passed down from four generations of family names. Dee’s truth is hidden from her social ignorance. Dee also enhanced her heritage and culture by wearing bright wavy clothing and fashionable peace’s of style.
Dee’s display of her true heritage oversee her physical appearance to be justified, which really is empty and false. Arriving with a bright African dress, mama saying “A dress so loud it hurts my eyes.” (Walker) “Golden dangling bangles, and earrings making noises when she moves her arm up to shake the folds of the dress of her armpits” (Walker). Including a new large hair “It stands straight up like wool on a sheep” (Walker). This new look is only for her physical image, intended to show others that she is in touch with her heritage. Sadly Dee thinks she knows more about her heritage then Mama and Maggie, of simply the fact she wants to obtain material that symbolizes her culture and heritage.
Several family heirlooms where collected, Dee wanted to preserve their artist value. Such as the dasher that her Aunt Dee’s first husband whittled, and the old family quilts which where pass down from their grandmother Dee. Not realizing that in preserving them she devalues their significance and historical worth. When Dee is denied the family quilts, intending to showcase she tell mama “Maggie couldn’t appreciate these quilts, she’d probably be backwards enough to put them to everyday use!” (Walker). Mama responds that “Maggie knows how to quilt.” (Walker). Indenting that Dee would not be able to contribute of adding a scrap of family history to the next
