Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use"

The theme of Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use" is the danger that occurs when people ignore the value systems that nurtured them in favor of the values of a superficial, market-driven culture. "Everyday Use" describes the experience of a country family's exposure to the superficial, alien culture of social power and how different family members respond to it. In keeping with this theme, the narrator seems to favor the character of Dee over her sister and mother.

How that comes about can be seen in the presentation of the character Dee--the country mouse, so to speak, whose dreams of a fine education and big-city glamour and excitement have come true just enough to transform her into one who is willing to exploit her heritage in the service of satisfying multiple material wants that constitute the value system of the dominant culture. Dee has adopted certain attributes of a supposedly authentic racial identity; she shows up with a new name, Wangero, and a man whose own complicated name--a verbal play on the traditional Islamic greeting--designates his identity as a Black Muslim.

But that is life as an icon, not a person, and for that reason it is superficial. It is clear that the narrator is not very sympathetic to Dee's current culture. The narrator's presentation of the image of her walking behind instead of with her husband is a criticism of the action. Maggie and Mama might want a more comfortable life, but they are not pretending to be something they are not.

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Category: Literature - A