Everyday Use Heritage Essay

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Alice Malsenior Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and activist. She wrote the novel The Color Purple (1982) for which she won the National Book Award for hardcover fiction and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. She also wrote the novels Meridian (1976), The Third Life of Grange Copeland (1970), She also wrote a short story Everyday Use (1973), among other works. The central theme of the story concerns the way in which an individual understands his present life in relation to the traditions of his people and culture. Dee tells her mother and Maggie that they do not understand their “heritage” because they plan to put “priceless” heirloom quilts to “everyday use.” The basic conflict in this story is Maggie's knowledge of everyday objects and her intention; to use them for their purposes, and her sister Dee (Wangero), who considers herself more worldly and educated and who thinks these everyday objects should be hung up and admired as antiques. The concept of heritage and identity are experienced by the three women in the short story "Everyday Use." Is Dee (Wangero) confused with these previously mentioned concepts, or does she have a better …show more content…
In the story, heritage is defined on a much deeper level such as the background of culture and many other ideas. The rural setting that Dee’s mother is immersed in is based on the idea of hard work. Her mother and Maggie do not have the time, education, or motivation to think deeply about race, racism, or equality and her mother openly admits that she would not even be able to look a white man in the face. Dee / Wangero, on the other hand, although she is originally from the country, eventually moves away and is exposed to ideas about racial equality. This, combined with her urban education, makes her view matters of race differently and causes the inherent conflict between her and her family’s

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