The "Everyday Use" Story: Just Like a Quilt, There is Always Something New to See
EssayChat / Aug 24, 2019
Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use" is a classic for good reason. The characters, while very much products of their time, have enough timeless qualities to resonate with readers of all sorts for generations to come, even those who aren't familiar with the Civil Rights Movement. The plot examines the relationship between a mother and her daughters, a timeless theme; conflicts are both overt and subtle, and always shifting enough to keep the reader guessing (as well as seeing new twists upon each reading); and the quilt, as a multi-use symbol in the story, is used by Walker to give the reader a multitude of perspectives, as well as a depth, often missing from short stories. Perhaps the most brilliant aspect of this story, however, is the fact that Walker creates three-dimensional characters who show more of themselves upon each subsequent reading. To be able to do this at all is no small feat; however, Walker not only manages to do this beautifully, but she also does so with three African American female characters. In so doing, she makes the point that the dominant culture of this country (i.e. European American and patriarchal) tends to see Black women as one-dimensional people, to the extent that this is all that is seen - just as this is what the reader sees when first reading "Everyday Use." However, reality is, as usual, quite different, and quite more complex, than what it appears to be upon first glance; and Mama, Maggie, and Dee all take on an astonishing amount of detail once they are granted second and third readings.
This essay will examine the theme of hidden depth as it is expressed in "Everyday Use" via these standard elements of fiction: plot, setting, character, symbol, and point of view. It will show how all three female characters initially present themselves to the reader as rather flat, only to gain substance through the skillful use of these story elements. Finally, the essay will show how the story is, in a small yet meaningful way, speaking to the hidden depth that exists in all people.
As Farrell (179) notes, most literary critics seem to agree that "Everyday Use" concerns the awakening of a mother to the superficiality of her previously beloved (some would say favorite) older daughter while at the same time she has new respect for her previously under-appreciated younger daughter. Certainly, this is where Walker's character portrayals would seem to take us. The story begins with Mama and Maggie awaiting Dee who will be visiting from college. It's made clear to the reader that Mama and Maggie are "country folk:" Mama is fat, has rough, "man working hands," and can "kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man." Maggie was badly burned in a fire as a child, isn't very bright, works hard, and will marry a man with "mossy teeth in an earnest face." Dee, on the other hand, seems to have always wanted more than her life gave her. She read to her mother and sister (which felt oppressive to her mother); wanted fancy dresses; had "hangers on" as opposed to real friends; and got out of there as fast as she could to get to college.
So, "Everyday Use" presents us with three women: two country, one an escapee from country; two simple yet "good folk," the third pretentious and arrogant. It's pretty clear where Walker is taking us with these character portraits, right from the beginning. Or is it? It is important to remember that Mama is telling this story; and as perceptive as she is in her "down home" way, it is also the case that her understanding is limited to the world which she knows. Dee, who rejected that world, is eventually (some might say necessarily, given where the story seems to take us) regarded as a traitor of sorts by a mother who had revered her until she realized she wanted the quilts only because they could bring her some amount of cache in her new radicalized world. And certainly, that sort of behavior rings false for most of us; we resonate with Maggie, who wanted the quilts for the "everyday use" for which they had been created. Yet perhaps Dee simply doesn't want to be part of that world. Perhaps Dee is just trying to create herself in a different image, one that is at odds with a culture that is not highly educated, and one that, just perhaps, sees education through slightly jaundiced eyes because it was never an option. Dee is still young; she's trying on new identities, and that's always awkward. But there are signs that she still cares about her mother and sister, even given her otherwise obnoxious behaviors; at the end, when she is leaving, she tells Maggie that "You ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie. It's really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you'd never know it." It is extremely difficult to straddle two worlds, and here Walker shows us that Dee is, quite possibly, not the lost, annoying soul she seems to be on the surface. Farrell (181) echoes this suspicion, noting that "Mama is often wrong about her expectations of Dee and her readings of Dee's emotions." In this way, then, not only is Dee more complex than she seems at first, but so, too, is Mama.
Walker uses the setting, as well, to indicate that first impressions are generally superficial. Mama and Maggie live in rural poverty. The front yard is made of dirt; the furnishings are plain, hand-made, and old; and the entire house is just three rooms, with no actual windows, just holes cut into the walls. Walker describes this place such that it feels homey, cozy, comfortable, and welcoming, and perhaps it is. Yet those who understand poverty - especially the kind of poverty that is not transient, but, rather, ingrained and generational - also understand that this is not an easy kind of existence. Moreover, Mama tells us clearly that she isn't "choosing" to live here when she mocks Dee's use of the word in reference to her place of residence. Here again, the message is that everything is not as it seems.
The plot also shows the careful reader that the triad of Mama as wise country woman, Maggie as helpful country daughter, and Dee as ungrateful worldly daughter should not be viewed as set in stone. As Tuten (126) points out, Mama hasn't always taken up for Maggie. The scene where she hugs Maggie to her, grabs the quilts out of Dee's hands, and throws them on Maggie's lap was a new development in their lives. Mama herself says she'd never done anything like that before. Tuten (126) suggests that the hug is not what Walker (or Mama) meant, as she most likely is a woman who gives hugs. Rather, she simply switches her "favored daughter" status from Dee to Maggie, recognizing in her a kindred spirit, someone with whom she could sit of an evening after the chores were done, in silence, appreciating the coming night, just as she and Maggie do at the end of "Everyday Use." Here, we see what appears to be growth on Mama's part, yet perhaps the growth is stunted; perhaps Mama is the kind of person who needs to affiliate with one daughter more than the other, thus serving a divisive role in their lives. Certainly, while this is not the kind of quality one might want to see in a wise old crone, it is typical, as almost any woman with a sister and a living mother might suggest. This takes Mama down a notch in our collective esteem, placing her on the level of ordinary mothers (as opposed to the earth mother she seems to be on the surface) and, yet again, forces the reader to re-evaluate his or her tacit understanding of Dee; after all, Dee is seen entirely through the eyes of a woman who is now not necessarily the entirely reliable narrator we had thought her to be.
This leads to the point that through point of view, Walker first brings the reader to one understanding, and then (if the reader is thorough), to another. Mama's straight-forward way of telling a story in simple, plain language is compelling. We like her immediately; we want her to be our own mother (or grandmother); and we trust her. Her brand of "country wisdom" is something that is far too uncommon, even among country folk. Yet again, in the end, she is not infallible; and it is in her own narrative - through her own point of view - that we see, in a second or even third reading, seeds of distrust for Mama's opinions. Walker doesn't make us turn on Mama, nor does she induce us to dislike her as we disliked Dee in the beginning; she is far too skillful a writer for that. But we do see Mama as a real person, with depth and contradictory traits, when we really understand what she is telling us.
Finally, the use of the quilts as a symbol binding the story of this one event together is a brilliant way to express the theme that not everything is as it seems. On first glance, and to Mama and Maggie, the quilts are purely functional, made of rags that would otherwise be thrown away. When they wear out, the two women will simply make more. On second glance, and to Dee, the quilts are symbolic of the struggle of African Americans from slavery to full citizenship. They represent creativity, determination, caring, love, and more - the kinds of characteristics and emotions that fill us out from mere outlines to full people. Just as we learn, through this story, to see quilts in many ways, Walker is trying to show us that we need to learn to see people this way as well. Humans are complex, rich individuals who have many layers, despite how easily we seem to know them, and despite how often we tend to want to reduce them to their simplest forms. We might even take this a step further, as Whitsitt (445) does, and see the very act of storytelling itself as a metaphorical quilt, thus allowing the quilts to do "double-duty" in "Everyday Use;" that is to say, the quilts are not just symbols in the story, but are, in fact, symbols of the story. This adds yet another layer of meaning to an already-rich text.
Perhaps this, then, is the true meaning of "Everyday Use" - the words as well as the story. The things we use every day, whether they are quilts or benches, favorite knives or beloved slippers, all tell a story of their own. On the surface they might be battered, yet tougher than steel; conversely, they might be shiny as new copper, yet older than this nation. They all, however, have a richness that we instinctively understand. By the same token, although we tend to take the people who are always around us for granted, seeing them rather simplistically by virtue of knowing them for a long time, the fact is that when we try to explain who they are to a stranger - who they really are, in depth - we remember that they are generally something other than we've reduced them to in our "everyday use." Perhaps Walker is trying to tell us that, just as the three women in her story should not be seen as one-dimensional beings, neither should we view our own loved ones in that way as well.
Works Cited
Farrell, Susan. "Fight vs. Flight: A Re-evaluation of Dee in Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use.'" Studies in Short Fiction, 35.2 (1998): 179-187.
Kennedy, X.J., and Dana Gaoia. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. 11th ed. New York: Longman, 2009.
Tuten, Nancy. "Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use.'" Explicator, 51.2 (1993): 125-128.
Whitsitt, Sam. "In Spite of It All: Reading of Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use.'" African American Review, 34.3 (2000): 443-460.
This essay will examine the theme of hidden depth as it is expressed in "Everyday Use" via these standard elements of fiction: plot, setting, character, symbol, and point of view. It will show how all three female characters initially present themselves to the reader as rather flat, only to gain substance through the skillful use of these story elements. Finally, the essay will show how the story is, in a small yet meaningful way, speaking to the hidden depth that exists in all people.As Farrell (179) notes, most literary critics seem to agree that "Everyday Use" concerns the awakening of a mother to the superficiality of her previously beloved (some would say favorite) older daughter while at the same time she has new respect for her previously under-appreciated younger daughter. Certainly, this is where Walker's character portrayals would seem to take us. The story begins with Mama and Maggie awaiting Dee who will be visiting from college. It's made clear to the reader that Mama and Maggie are "country folk:" Mama is fat, has rough, "man working hands," and can "kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man." Maggie was badly burned in a fire as a child, isn't very bright, works hard, and will marry a man with "mossy teeth in an earnest face." Dee, on the other hand, seems to have always wanted more than her life gave her. She read to her mother and sister (which felt oppressive to her mother); wanted fancy dresses; had "hangers on" as opposed to real friends; and got out of there as fast as she could to get to college.
So, "Everyday Use" presents us with three women: two country, one an escapee from country; two simple yet "good folk," the third pretentious and arrogant. It's pretty clear where Walker is taking us with these character portraits, right from the beginning. Or is it? It is important to remember that Mama is telling this story; and as perceptive as she is in her "down home" way, it is also the case that her understanding is limited to the world which she knows. Dee, who rejected that world, is eventually (some might say necessarily, given where the story seems to take us) regarded as a traitor of sorts by a mother who had revered her until she realized she wanted the quilts only because they could bring her some amount of cache in her new radicalized world. And certainly, that sort of behavior rings false for most of us; we resonate with Maggie, who wanted the quilts for the "everyday use" for which they had been created. Yet perhaps Dee simply doesn't want to be part of that world. Perhaps Dee is just trying to create herself in a different image, one that is at odds with a culture that is not highly educated, and one that, just perhaps, sees education through slightly jaundiced eyes because it was never an option. Dee is still young; she's trying on new identities, and that's always awkward. But there are signs that she still cares about her mother and sister, even given her otherwise obnoxious behaviors; at the end, when she is leaving, she tells Maggie that "You ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie. It's really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you'd never know it." It is extremely difficult to straddle two worlds, and here Walker shows us that Dee is, quite possibly, not the lost, annoying soul she seems to be on the surface. Farrell (181) echoes this suspicion, noting that "Mama is often wrong about her expectations of Dee and her readings of Dee's emotions." In this way, then, not only is Dee more complex than she seems at first, but so, too, is Mama.
Walker uses the setting, as well, to indicate that first impressions are generally superficial. Mama and Maggie live in rural poverty. The front yard is made of dirt; the furnishings are plain, hand-made, and old; and the entire house is just three rooms, with no actual windows, just holes cut into the walls. Walker describes this place such that it feels homey, cozy, comfortable, and welcoming, and perhaps it is. Yet those who understand poverty - especially the kind of poverty that is not transient, but, rather, ingrained and generational - also understand that this is not an easy kind of existence. Moreover, Mama tells us clearly that she isn't "choosing" to live here when she mocks Dee's use of the word in reference to her place of residence. Here again, the message is that everything is not as it seems.
The plot also shows the careful reader that the triad of Mama as wise country woman, Maggie as helpful country daughter, and Dee as ungrateful worldly daughter should not be viewed as set in stone. As Tuten (126) points out, Mama hasn't always taken up for Maggie. The scene where she hugs Maggie to her, grabs the quilts out of Dee's hands, and throws them on Maggie's lap was a new development in their lives. Mama herself says she'd never done anything like that before. Tuten (126) suggests that the hug is not what Walker (or Mama) meant, as she most likely is a woman who gives hugs. Rather, she simply switches her "favored daughter" status from Dee to Maggie, recognizing in her a kindred spirit, someone with whom she could sit of an evening after the chores were done, in silence, appreciating the coming night, just as she and Maggie do at the end of "Everyday Use." Here, we see what appears to be growth on Mama's part, yet perhaps the growth is stunted; perhaps Mama is the kind of person who needs to affiliate with one daughter more than the other, thus serving a divisive role in their lives. Certainly, while this is not the kind of quality one might want to see in a wise old crone, it is typical, as almost any woman with a sister and a living mother might suggest. This takes Mama down a notch in our collective esteem, placing her on the level of ordinary mothers (as opposed to the earth mother she seems to be on the surface) and, yet again, forces the reader to re-evaluate his or her tacit understanding of Dee; after all, Dee is seen entirely through the eyes of a woman who is now not necessarily the entirely reliable narrator we had thought her to be.
This leads to the point that through point of view, Walker first brings the reader to one understanding, and then (if the reader is thorough), to another. Mama's straight-forward way of telling a story in simple, plain language is compelling. We like her immediately; we want her to be our own mother (or grandmother); and we trust her. Her brand of "country wisdom" is something that is far too uncommon, even among country folk. Yet again, in the end, she is not infallible; and it is in her own narrative - through her own point of view - that we see, in a second or even third reading, seeds of distrust for Mama's opinions. Walker doesn't make us turn on Mama, nor does she induce us to dislike her as we disliked Dee in the beginning; she is far too skillful a writer for that. But we do see Mama as a real person, with depth and contradictory traits, when we really understand what she is telling us.
Finally, the use of the quilts as a symbol binding the story of this one event together is a brilliant way to express the theme that not everything is as it seems. On first glance, and to Mama and Maggie, the quilts are purely functional, made of rags that would otherwise be thrown away. When they wear out, the two women will simply make more. On second glance, and to Dee, the quilts are symbolic of the struggle of African Americans from slavery to full citizenship. They represent creativity, determination, caring, love, and more - the kinds of characteristics and emotions that fill us out from mere outlines to full people. Just as we learn, through this story, to see quilts in many ways, Walker is trying to show us that we need to learn to see people this way as well. Humans are complex, rich individuals who have many layers, despite how easily we seem to know them, and despite how often we tend to want to reduce them to their simplest forms. We might even take this a step further, as Whitsitt (445) does, and see the very act of storytelling itself as a metaphorical quilt, thus allowing the quilts to do "double-duty" in "Everyday Use;" that is to say, the quilts are not just symbols in the story, but are, in fact, symbols of the story. This adds yet another layer of meaning to an already-rich text.
Perhaps this, then, is the true meaning of "Everyday Use" - the words as well as the story. The things we use every day, whether they are quilts or benches, favorite knives or beloved slippers, all tell a story of their own. On the surface they might be battered, yet tougher than steel; conversely, they might be shiny as new copper, yet older than this nation. They all, however, have a richness that we instinctively understand. By the same token, although we tend to take the people who are always around us for granted, seeing them rather simplistically by virtue of knowing them for a long time, the fact is that when we try to explain who they are to a stranger - who they really are, in depth - we remember that they are generally something other than we've reduced them to in our "everyday use." Perhaps Walker is trying to tell us that, just as the three women in her story should not be seen as one-dimensional beings, neither should we view our own loved ones in that way as well.
Works Cited
Farrell, Susan. "Fight vs. Flight: A Re-evaluation of Dee in Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use.'" Studies in Short Fiction, 35.2 (1998): 179-187.
Kennedy, X.J., and Dana Gaoia. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. 11th ed. New York: Longman, 2009.
Tuten, Nancy. "Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use.'" Explicator, 51.2 (1993): 125-128.
Whitsitt, Sam. "In Spite of It All: Reading of Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use.'" African American Review, 34.3 (2000): 443-460.