Themes: The Black Consciousness Movement
Alice Walker published “Everyday Use” in 1973, in the midst of the Black Power movement. When Dee and her companion, Hakim-a-barber, emerge from their car, the reader is meant to understand that Dee’s loud yellow and orange dress, as well as her and Hakim-a-barber’s Afros, are signs of their identification with the movement, which encouraged its proponents to don African garb and to wear their hair in “natural,” or Afro, styles. To Mama and Maggie, the couple looks foreign and unkempt. They never occur to Mama and Maggie as two people who are using their bodies as markers of transgression from white standards of beauty and decorum.
Though the Black Consciousness movement was a positive thing, due to its unapologetic embrace of Black identity and its urge to connect with the African diaspora, Walker complicates what might have been the reader’s unquestioned appreciation of the movement by making Dee exemplary of it. Dee, Mama tells us, is someone who has always known what style is. This suggests that she is someone who prioritizes whatever is in fashion. Mama and Maggie never know what is in fashion, which leads them to believe that Dee’s sense of style is uniquely her own.
When Dee arrives at the farm, she is fascinated by the rustic objects in Mama’s home, as though she’s seeing them for the first time. The bench, the churn, and the dasher have always been there, but her embrace of Black Consciousness turns them suddenly into objects of interest. Dee claims to embrace her heritage, but she rejects her given name, which was passed down to her through her matrilineal line. Most importantly, Dee now insists on having her mother’s patchwork quilts, which Mama unsuccessfully attempted to give Dee before she left for college. Then, Dee declared the quilts “old-fashioned, out of style.”
The irony about Dee’s embrace of Black Consciousness is her lack of consciousness. She casts herself as superior to Mama and Maggie due to her education, thereby reinforcing a class hierarchy antithetical to the Black Power movement. She rejects their rural lifestyle while also seeking to connect with her enslaved ancestors by owning the quilts. She accuses Mama and Maggie of not knowing their heritage while rejecting key aspects of her own—that is, her given name and her connection to agrarian life.
Expert Q&A
Dee's name change to Wangero and its significance in "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
Dee's name change to Wangero in "Everyday Use" signifies her attempt to reconnect with her African heritage and reject the oppression associated with her given name. However, it also highlights her superficial understanding of her roots and a disconnect from her true family heritage, as she overlooks the value of her immediate cultural inheritance.
Exploring Ancestral Heritage in Alice Walker's "Everyday Use"
In "Everyday Use," Alice Walker explores ancestral heritage through the contrasting attitudes of the characters Dee and Maggie. Dee seeks to preserve her African heritage superficially by acquiring family artifacts, while Maggie embodies a living connection to her ancestors through practical, everyday use of these items, reflecting a deeper, more genuine appreciation of her cultural heritage.
Differing interpretations of heritage in "Everyday Use" by Dee and Mama
In "Everyday Use," Dee and Mama have differing interpretations of heritage. Dee views heritage as something to be admired and displayed, seeking to connect with her African roots superficially. In contrast, Mama sees heritage as a living, practical part of daily life, valuing the family traditions and items that are used and appreciated in everyday activities.
What does Dee mean when she says Mama doesn't understand their heritage?
When Dee says that Mama doesn't understand their heritage, she means that Mama doesn't value their heritage as an artifact of the past as she believes she should. But to Mama, their heritage is not an artifact, but a useful and practical life she and her other daughter, Maggie, still lead.
Why has Dee adopted African dress, hairstyle, and name?
Dee adopts African dress, hairstyle, and a new name to connect with her heritage, rejecting her given name because it ties to oppression. Despite her mother explaining the family lineage of the name, Dee views it as linked to slavery. She sees heritage as something to be preserved rather than used, seeking authenticity through displaying family items artistically. However, her actions reveal a superficial understanding of her heritage.
What does Wangero mean when she says her mother doesn't understand her heritage? Is it true?
When Wangero claims her mother doesn't understand her heritage, she refers to her own focus on African roots, which she prioritizes over her immediate cultural background. This perspective is not entirely accurate, as Wangero neglects her family's history and sacrifices. Her mother, Mama, values practical connections to heritage, like using family quilts, rather than treating them as mere symbols. Both characters have partial views, with Wangero overlooking her familial heritage and Mama focusing more on family than broader cultural history.
What are the differences between Mama's and Wangero's views on using cultural objects daily?
The differences between the women’s perspectives are that Mama tends to believe that even cultural objects should be used every day, as the title suggests, while Wangero, formerly called Dee, emphasizes the cultural value of certain objects. In particular, she wants to preserve or display some handmade quilts. Alice Walker presents good reasons to support both perspectives.
In "Everyday Use," what do the family quilts Wangero desires represent?
The family quilts Wangero desires symbolize heritage and cultural identity. Wangero, formerly known as Dee, seeks to preserve these quilts as artifacts, reflecting her new perspective influenced by the Black Power Movement. She views the quilts, made from family members' clothing, as historical pieces that should be displayed as art to honor her ancestors, rather than used in everyday life, which she believes would diminish their value.
What actions or words from Dee indicate an increasing interest in her heritage?
Dee's increasing interest in her heritage is indicated by several actions and words. She takes numerous photos of her family and home, changes her name to reflect her ancestry rather than her family's former white owners, and expresses newfound admiration for handmade family artifacts. Dee's intense desire for quilts, which she previously rejected, further underscores her developed interest in preserving her heritage.
What shows Dee's growing interest in preserving her heritage? How does the butter churn contrast Dee and Maggie's relationship with heritage? Is Dee's connection to her heritage ironic?
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