Everyday Use

Grade Levels

Excerpt

• As the story begins, what are some details that Mama, the narrator, explains about herself and her life? What is your opinion of Mama, based on her experiences and what she says about herself?
• Early in the story, Mama describes having a dream in which she and Dee appear together on a reality TV show. What kind of TV show is it? What happens in Mama’s dream? Why do you think she has this particular dream?
• Mama lives in the country and often describes things in similes that reflect the natural world. For instance, she says that Dee gasps “like a bee had stung her.” What are two or three other similes related to nature that the narrator uses to describe Dee and her boyfriend?
• Why does Dee reject her given name and now call herself Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo? What details in the conversation about Dee’s new name indicate that Dee and her mother are talking without really communicating? Why do you think they aren’t communicating clearly with each other in this conversation?
• Describe the home where Maggie and Mama live. Why do you suppose Dee includes the house in all the pictures she takes of her mother and sister? Why would she take a picture with the house, her mother, her sister, and a stray cow? Explain what you think motivates Dee in taking the pictures.

About

These eNotes Reading Response Prompts are designed to encourage your students to read more effectively and with more pleasure by giving them interesting subjects to write about after they have read. Many of the prompts will take them directly into the text, while others will give them an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings and to reflect on their own experiences.

A second purpose of the eNotes Reading Response Prompts is to facilitate instruction in ways that work for you in the classroom. The organization of the prompts makes them easy to use, and the content and construction of the prompts are designed to develop students’ knowledge and academic skills.