Characterization Paper

Characterization

Numerous literary elements transform an ordinary piece of literature into one that is amazingly profound and interesting. One of the most important and powerful ways an author is able to establish his point is through the character’s interactions with one another and with their environment. In “Everyday Use,” Alice Walker deals with the contrasting customs of expressing one’s heritage through the opposing motives of Maggie and Dee, at the same time, Walker depicts their mother as a character who tries to find a middle ground amidst her daughters opposing views. After their house burns down and a decision is made over which daughter should receive their grandmother’s quilt, the readers view the vast contradicting differences between the opposing characters as Dee being the sister who has a superficial way of expressing their heritage, where as her younger sister, Maggie believes in more traditional methods.

The differences amongst the three main characters’ personalities, and physical traits, signify an immediate division in their family. The narrator begins by discussing “…TV shows where the child who has “made it” is confronted … by her own mother and father, tottering weakly from backstage.” (Walker 91) The readers later realize that the narrator is referring to Dee as the daughter who has “made it” (91) and her mother and Maggie are “tottering weakly from backstage.” (91) Instantly, the readers view Dee as the dominate and successful daughter who “… has held life always in the palm of one hand…” (91) and has branched off from her family as she peruses better things. However, as the story progresses, Dee appears to be a self-absorbed character, who truly does not understand the significance of her heritage, although she genuinely feels that she does. Her superficial outlook towards her culture prevails after she insists on taking the quilts her mother promised to give to Maggie, with the sole intensions of hanging them up. Dee feels that “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts…”(96) and that she is “…backward enough to put them to everyday use.”(96) Dee strongly believes that her sister’s desire to use the quilts for there intended purposes is disrespectful to their culture, however, Dee’s desire to place them on display is the real act of disrespect because rather than embracing the cultural beauty and importance of the quilts, she wants to subject them to criticism by others who do not understand or value their culture.

Maggie, Dee’s younger sister, contradicts Dee’s outlook and interpretation of the importance of their culture. Maggie chooses to embrace her culture by interacting with objects passed down through generations on a daily basis and by staying attached to more traditional ways of life. Maggie is immediately distinguished as the lesser attractive and less confident sister because Dee has a lighter complexion “…nicer hair and a fuller figure…”(92) and Maggie always walk with her “…chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle…”(92) The readers come to discover that Maggie was tremendously impacted after “…the fire …burned the other house to the ground.”(92) Although Dee has moved on from that disaster, Maggie seems to be extremely attached to their old house and just as Maggie clung to her mother as she was dragged from the burning house, it appears that she still clings to her mother and to the old memories. When conflict arises over who should resultantly have the quilts, Maggie’s nonaggressive attitude of “…never winning anything, or having anything reserved for her” (97) causes her to give up the quilts; even though, earlier in the story, their mother said that Dee was originally offered the quilts before leaving for college, but she thought they were “…old-fashioned, out of style.” (96) In order to settle the conflict and since, “Maggie’s brain is like an elephant’s,…”(95) she concludes that she can just as easily remember her Grandma Dee “…without the quilts.”(97) Maggie’s resistance to having the situation escalate and realizing that she did not need to possess material items in order to preserve the memories of her ancestors or her African culture, shows how Maggie truly valued and profoundly understood her heritage.

Maggie and Dee’s mother is a character who seemed to understand from the beginning of the story the essence of their heritage, however, many underestimate her because she is not well educated. For instance, when Dee’s mother first met Asalamalakim, Dee’s friend, he looked down on her “…like somebody inspecting a Model A car” (94) and after she had trouble with the pronunciation of his name and she “…tripped over it two or three times he told …[her]… to call him Hakim-a-barber.”(94) However, her lack of education never impaired her from recalling and appreciating the importance of her ancestry, and when she finally decided on who should receive the quilts, “…it was like something hit…[her]… in the top of…[her]… head and ran down to the soles of …[her]… feet,” (97) compelling her to do something she has never done before. She first hugged Maggie and “… dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero’s hands and dumped them into Maggie’s lap.”(97) Seeing as how their mother had a certain connection with the quilts because she had actually put together the quilts alongside Grandma Dee and Big Dee, she realized which daughter rightfully deserved the quilts, especially since two of the people who toiled over those quilts, Dee was named after, and according to Dee, she no longer wanted to be named after people who oppressed her and Dee considered her name “…dead…” (94) Understanding that Dee did not undeniably value her heritage, the narrator emphasizes the idea that their mother snatched the quilts out of “…Miss Wangero’s hands…” (97), instead of Dee’s hands and ultimately gave the quilts to Maggie, someone who truly embodies and appreciates the African culture.

A character’s moral beliefs ultimately affect the ways in which he interacts with other characters throughout the course of a story. Alice Walker demonstrates these core ideas by depicting the differing views of two main characters, in the story, “Everyday Use”. Dee and Maggie are two polar opposite characters whose looks and actions shape their beliefs and views of the heritage. As Dee tries to simulate into modern society, she appears to lose the original and core values of her heritage, were as Maggie seems infatuated with traditional ways of thinking. As a conflict arises over which child should ultimately receive two quilts that are richly embedded with historical meanings and memories, their mother has a revelation that essentially marks a new beginning. Although Dee is known for being a beautiful child who has “made it,” (91) and always has situations result in her favor, her mother realizes that her knowledge and understanding of their heritage has been tainted by her inclusion into modern society. Dee left the house still oblivious to the fact that she does not have a profound understanding to her African culture, Maggie graciously and proudly receives the quilts that she has longed for and rightfully deserves.