The thematic richness of “Everyday Use” is made possible by the flexible, perceptive voice of the first-person narrator. It is the mother’s point of view that permits the reader’s understanding of both Dee and Maggie. Seen from a greater distance, both young women might seem stereotypical—one a smart but ruthless college girl, the other a sweet but ineffectual homebody. The mother’s close scrutiny redeems Dee and Maggie, as characters, from banality.

For example, Maggie’s shyness is explained in terms of the terrible fire she survived: “Sometimes I can still hear the flames and feel Maggie’s arms sticking to me, her hair smoking and her dress falling off her in little black papery flakes. Her eyes seemed stretched open, blazed open by the flames reflected in them.” Ever since, “she has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle.” In Dee’s case, the reader learns that as she was growing up, the high demands she made of others tended to drive people away. She had few friends, and her one boyfriend “flew to marry a cheap city girl from a family of ignorant flashy people” after Dee “turned all her faultfinding power on him.” Her drive for a better life has cost Dee dearly, and her mother’s commentary reveals that Dee, too, has scars, though they are less visible than Maggie’s.

In addition to the skillful use of point of view, “Everyday Use” is enriched by Alice Walker’s development of symbols. In particular, the contested quilts become symbolic of the story’s theme; in a sense, they represent the past of the women in the family. Worked on by two generations, they contain bits of fabric from even earlier eras, including a scrap of a Civil War uniform worn by Great Grandpa Ezra. The debate over how the quilts should be treated—used or hung on the wall—summarizes the black woman’s dilemma about how to face the future. Can her life be seen as continuous with that of her ancestors? For Maggie, the answer is yes. Not only will she use the quilts, but also she will go on making more—she has learned the skill from Grandma Dee. For Dee, at least for the present, the answer is no. She would frame the quilts and hang them on the wall, distancing them from her present life and aspirations; to put them to everyday use would be to admit her status as a member of her old-fashioned family.

Walker employs various literary devices to explore the themes in the narrative and to amplify the voices of the underprivileged and uneducated.

Point of View

"Everyday Use" is narrated from a first-person perspective. Mrs. Johnson, an uneducated woman, recounts the story herself. Through her eyes, the reader gains insight into her thoughts about her two daughters, revealing her keen observations about life. This narrative technique aims to validate the experiences of an often marginalized group: lower-class, black women. By placing Mrs. Johnson at the forefront, Walker underscores her significance and value in society. Mrs. Johnson harbors mixed feelings about her daughters. She describes Maggie's demeanor as being like "a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to own a car," and remarks that Dee's reading "burned us with a lot of knowledge we didn't necessarily need to know." These conflicting emotions illustrate the complexity of her thoughts and her ability to evaluate people when necessary. Her feelings are further complicated by her daydream of reuniting with Dee on a television talk show where "Johnny Carson has much to do to keep up with my quick and witty tongue."

Symbolism

The story is laden with symbolism and revolves around it. The quilts serve as the central symbol, representing the continuity of history and familial bonds across generations. Other symbols include Maggie's burned skin, which can be seen as a metaphor for how she has been "burned" by life's circumstances. Mrs. Johnson's "man-working" hands symbolize the tough life she has carved out from the land they inhabit. Names also carry symbolic weight in the story. Dee believes her name signifies "the people who oppress me," and chooses an African name with no connection to her family lineage. When Hakim-a-barber declares he does not eat collard greens and pork—traditional African-American foods—he symbolically rejects his heritage despite his complex African name. Clothing further symbolizes the characters. Mrs. Johnson dons practical attire: overalls and flannel nightgowns, representing her straightforward approach to life. Dee wears a "yellow organdy dress" to her graduation and other vivid, colorful outfits. These clothes symbolize her vibrant nature and her reluctance to conform to her environment, a harsh land better suited to farm attire. Maggie's fragility is symbolized by the dress that "falls off her in little black papery flakes" during the house fire: delicate and burned.

Irony

The story's central irony becomes evident when readers grasp Walker's point about Dee's attempts to appreciate her heritage. Although Dee has received an education and understands her African ancestry, she mistakenly looks to this history to affirm her heritage, overlooking her true roots and the people who raised her. She admires the quilts, especially because her grandmother sewed them by hand. She is more captivated by the idea of hand-sewn quilts than by the person who actually did the sewing.

Diction and Dialect

By narrating the story in the first person, Walker provides Mrs. Johnson with a distinctive speech pattern that helps define her character. Although Mrs. Johnson is uneducated, she still articulates herself effectively. She waits in a yard that has been meticulously cleaned and arranged, indicating her pride in her home as she prepares for her daughter's visit. Walker's nuanced portrayal of Mrs. Johnson's voice shows that this older rural woman can also speak with clear and lyrical efficiency. For example, she recounts, "knocked a bull calf straight in the brain between the eyes with a sledge hammer and [had] the meat hung up to chill before nightfall," and describes Hakmi-a-bar-ber's real name as "twice as long and three times as hard" to pronounce. Through this, Walker skillfully suggests that a "good" education does not necessarily lead to "better" speech.