Discussion Topic
Mama's evolving perception of Maggie and the impact of her decisions during the quilt conflict in "Everyday Use."
Summary:
Mama's perception of Maggie evolves to recognize her deeper connection to their heritage. During the quilt conflict, Mama decides to give the quilts to Maggie, acknowledging Maggie's appreciation for their everyday use and family significance, rather than Dee's superficial desire for them as cultural artifacts.
How does Mama's view of Maggie change throughout "Everyday Use"?
In Alice Walker's short story about family and its generational bonds, Mama perceives Maggie as self-effacing, thin, and scarred from burns.
She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle....
Consequently, the mother feels that Maggie
...will be nervous until after her sister goes, stand[ing] hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars...eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe.
Unlike her sister Dee, Maggie has gone nowhere, finding her only security at home with her mother. She is too timid and embarrassed about her appearance to venture into the world. Even as they wait in the yard for Dee to pull up, Maggie tries to shuffle quickly into the house; when Mama demands that she stay, Maggie digs her toe in a circular motion in the dirt yard.
During Dee's visit, Maggie remains in the shadows; she interjects nothing...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
into the argument between her sister and her mother over the churn, but she does correct her sister's memory of who whittled it, saying,
"Aunt Dee's first husband whittled the dash....His name was Henry, but they called him Stash."
When Dee asks for the old quilts, Maggie, who overhears this from the kitchen, drops something. Then, despite the arguments of Dee/Wangero that she should have the heirloom quilts and Maggie's humble offering of them,
"She can have them, Mama....I can 'member Grandma Dee without the quilts."
Mama feels something come over her, much like the feeling she gets in church sometimes. She
...snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's hands and dumped them into Maggie's lap.
Maggie is overcome. But, as Dee departs, Maggie smiles "a real smile, not scared." And, the mother knows that Dee has had her identity recognized and affirmed. Mama is no longer worried about what will become of Maggie, and she is proud of her.
What impact does Mama's handling of the quilt conflict have on Maggie in "Everyday Use"?
By insisting that Maggie keep the hand-stitched quilts, Mrs. Johnson reassures her daughter that she recognizes and approves of Maggie's family values and her personal desires; moreover, through her actions, Mama affirms her strong love for Maggie before her other daughter, who always has had the advantages.
After the initial shock of seeing her daughter's strange hairdo, her gaudy dress, and her radical male companion, Mrs. Johnson is amazed at the change in Dee's attitude toward some of the things handed down through the generations such as the butter churn and the two quilts that were hand-stitched. Then, when she realizes that Dee/Wangero wishes to put these family items, especially the quilts, on display as curious items made by poor African-Americans, she reacts, especially after Maggie surrenders to her sister and says, "She can have them, Mama." Mama narrates,
When I looked at her like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet....I did something I never had done before: hugged Maggie to me...snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's hands and dumped them into Maggie's lap.
Affronted by her daughter's disrespect for her family that these items handled with love for many hours by generations should be treated as mere exhibits in a house, Mrs. Johnson denies Dee the opportunity to insult the memory of family and, instead, hands them to Maggie, who respects her grandparents' memory.