instructions: “What is walker saying about heritage in “Everyday Use?” how does she prove her point remember to first clearly state what you think walkers definition of heritage is. one hint is to look at whose view of heritager she seems to approve. NO flat boring essays here, people!”
Heritage in “Everyday Use”
In “Everyday Use,” by Alice Walker, a mother tells the story of her oldest daughter’s
visit to her parents to her younger daughter. The daughter, Wangero, seems absent for a
while, given that she is now affluent, stylish, and wearing an up-to-date hairstyle. She is a
whole different person. Wangero believes that all of their belongings are irreplaceable
artifacts that need to be preserved in a secure location for the foreseeable future because they
are an essential component of their cultural “heritage.” The story is a model for thinking
about the relevance of our existing way of life in light of our historical, social, and ecological
“heritage.” Walker is a model for thinking about the significance of our contemporary way of
living. Walker argues that an individual’s behaviors and views, and not their material things
or even artifacts, are more indicative of the factors that sustain the values of an individual’s
culture and history.
As the story develops, we see that Wangero and Mama have distinct historical
perspectives. Mama is the one who takes into consideration the history, customs, and culture
of the family, while Wangero is the one which takes into account the family’s African
background. While there is truth on both sides of the argument, they continue to have
opposing viewpoints. Wangero believes that she and Maggie are trying to ignore and cover up
their roots. This is seen throughout the quilt “war.” Maggie intended to use the quilts in the
same way as any other quilt, but Wangero demanded that she keep them since they were a
part of their family’s “heritage.” This is one of the primary areas in which diverse family
history ideas differ, and it is also one of the most interesting!
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Walker focuses on the significance of heritage and how it relates to daily life. Because
of Mama’s perspective and the disparities between Dee and Maggie, Walker illustrates how
two very different individuals may have other ideas on what it means to have a “heritage”
(Tuten 125) In Dee’s opinion, heritage is a kind of history separated from the present by
aesthetics and emotion. Dee cannot acknowledge that her past is still being played out today
or that it impacts how she and her family live. She dislikes her mother and sister because of
their rural lifestyle and love of antiques. Dee’s hatred for her recent past is reflected in her
readiness to enroll in college, her joy in destroying her family’s home, and her lack of interest
in learning simple household skills like sewing. Despite having little knowledge of an African
civilization that existed before the history of slavery and her family’s experience in the
United States, Dee idealizes it. To feel more connected to her “heritage,” she adopts the
African name “Wangero” and makes additional alterations to her look. In an attempt to make
the events of the previous several years seem as far away and magnificent as the location
itself, Dee, now an adult, returns to the African hamlet where she spent her formative years.
Dee is keen about bringing home the heirlooms and mementos from her family, including a
butter churn that has seen better days and quilts made by her grandmother. Dee draws
inspiration for her artwork from photos she has taken of her family and house. The artifacts
are ultimately irrelevant to her present position since they are merely remnants of her past.
Still, her primary interest is seeing herself living there with her family or using the items as
memories.
Due to her challenging childhood, Dee developed a bitter attitude as she got older.
The audience rapidly learns that she detested the house she and her family resided in as a
child. Her mother needed to ask her this question while the house burned to the ground in a
fire: “Why do not you lead a dance around the ashes?” This indicates Dee’s hatred for the
home, and it appears to suggest that Dee was delighted to see it go up in flames. As Dee
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grows up and reaches a later point in the narrative, she sends a letter to Mama stating that she
would come to see them at their house but never bring her friends (Walker 2). Dee does not
want her close friends to know anything about her family’s history, youth traditions, or
cultural practices. She would describe her standard of life as rudimentary, but she is less
appreciative and more embarrassed. She tries to incorporate African culture into her life but
refuses to acknowledge that she is of African descent.
Maggie, the younger daughter, is shown as a young lady who is meeker and more
modest, with a deep connection to her heritage. Maggie is very proud of her family history
and path, but she does not possess the same level of self-reliance as her elder sister. Maggie is
used to having tight relationships with her family, and the history is always there, whether
inside or outdoors. As a result, Maggie does not place a high premium on the task of
preserving the quilts that have been handed down to her. Maggie’s memories do not come to
her until she is confronted with personally relevant situations. Mama was fully aware that “it
was Grandma Dere and Big dee who taught her how to quilt,” She was also mindful of the
possibility that the woman would be able to continue learning how to quilt in the future. Both
of these facts were known to her. In the story of Maggie’s character, subsequent generations
will continue to repeat the horrible events that occurred in the past.
As Dee is compelled to leave her home with nothing, she is confronted with a novel
sensation since, up until that point, she had always received everything she wished. She
retorts that today is unquestionably a fresh start. To make Maggie and Mama feel they were
beneath her, she said that they would never know it from the way her sister and mother still
lived. She said this in such a manner as to imply that they were unaware of their cultural
heritage. Despite this, neither Maggie nor Mama is very bothered by Dee’s cruel remark.
Maggie flashes the audience a grin to demonstrate that she has finally found a home inside
her mother’s heart. Because she is now familiar with the sensation of victory, she has
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concluded that Dee is the one who is missing the point since she is unclear about what factors
count. Maggie and Mother do not have the same obligation that Dee has, which is to go into
great detail about their histories and even to explain to others how “far” they have progressed.
Nobody can disguise that pride in one’s family is one of the most natural types of beauty.
On the other hand, Dee is solely interested in finding something superficially
materialistic to replace the void she has been taught several times. Walker investigates a wide
variety of perspectives about heritage. Those who are not embarrassed by who they are and
who carry themselves with pride, like Maggie, will not be ashamed of their origin and will
wear it with pride. The term “heritage” refers to an individual’s undeniable past, which they
will always have throughout their lives and cannot be reduced to a collection of only tangible
possessions.
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Works Cited
Tuten, Nancy. “Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”.” The Explicator 51.2 (1993): 125-128.
Walker, Alice. “Everyday Use.” Literature: a Portable Anthology, edited by Janet E. Gardner
et al., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2017.
