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In “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker it’s clear that symbolism is a big part of the story. Objects that are talked about have much bigger meanings than them just being objects, like the quilts. The symbols for the objects help the reader get a deeper understanding of the family their relationship with one another and of course their heritage. Heritage and culture are the two major themes throughout the story, each symbol bringing more meaning into those themes.
The biggest symbol of the story are the quilts that Dee tries to take.
The two quilts were set aside for Maggie after Dee said she didn’t want them before leaving for college. There were many points in the story where Dee tells Mama she doesn’t understand her heritage and that she is not fully embracing it. There are moments were it also ties back into the title “Everyday Use”. “Maggie can't appreciate these quilts!' she said. 'She'd probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.” (Walker 416).
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Proficient in: Symbolism
5 (204)
“ She followed all my directions. It was really easy to contact her and respond very fast as well. ”
Quilting is a part of the family’s heritage it has always been practiced for generations and generations. It is said that Maggie was taught to quilt by her auntie, while Dee didn’t learn because she didn’t follow the path of their family. Dee only wanting to take the quilts because they are a trophy of her heritage and “priceless” defeats to the purpose of what they were meant for.
The quilts were meant to be used and to be passed down.
If Dee had gotten the quilts of course they would have been passed down but, still the usage they would take on would be the total opposite than what was intended for the quilts. Mama sticking up for herself and Maggie by telling Dee that they are the ones who keep the heritage alive. This also changes the character of Mama, “I did something I never done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's hands and dumped them into Maggie's lap.” (Walker 417). Mama was used to giving Dee whatever she wanted and then Maggie getting the leftovers of everything, but she stuck up for herself and became a stronger authority figure, she couldn’t let her child walk all over here.
There is a small hunch of a reasoning that Dee’s boyfriend is the is the reason why Dee changed her name. She changes it from Dee, Dee being a name that was passed down over and over again to Wangero a name to be more original and African. Mama tells Wangero “'You know as well as me you was named after your aunt Dicie, I said. Dicie is my sister. She named Dee. We called her 'Big Dee.” Wangero tries to argue with Mama 'But who was she named after?' asked Wangero. 'I guess after Grandma Dee,' I said. 'And who was she named after?' asked Wangero. 'Her mother,' I said, and saw Wangero was getting tired. 'That's about as far back as I can trace it,' I said. Though, in fact, I probably could have carried it back beyond the Civil War through the branches.” (Walker 414). Asalamalakim is a symbol for change which is the name of her boyfriend. Dee wants to change her name birth name to Wangero it is set to blend more together with her heritage background. The reader can tell Asalamalakim has had an effect on Dee, as well as her going of to school, the reader can tell by how similar the two act. “Meanwhile Asalamalakim is going through motions with Maggie's hand. Maggie's hand is as limp as a fish, and probably as cold, despite the sweat, and she keeps trying to pull it back. It looks like Asalamalakim wants to shake hands but wants to do it fancy.” (Walker 414).
Symbolism is a great way to show the theme of a story without just putting it in simple or obvious terms. Thus, making the reader really think about what they are reading and to take time to actually read in between the lines and understand the meanings behind it rather than just reading over it and not knowing or understanding the details of the story. Symbolisms can also help the reader to understand the meaning of the themes in the story. Like, the quilts. Being able to understand heritage is something passed down the family and will one day belong so a younger member of the family makes the quilt a perfect example. It’s easy to understand what a quilt is and why it would be passed down. It makes complicated themes easier to process, making a story easier to understand. Asalamalakim is a harder symbol to understand. A character in general can be hard to understand, so adding another layer on top can cloud it’s true meaning. With his actions and the way he is talked about it becomes clearer what he means but it can be easily missed in a first read of the short story. Symbolism is very apparent in this story and it does a wonderful job with being obvious to recognize without being too obvious and throwing off the flow of the story. Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” is a great story to begin finding symbolism in as it is full of it.
Works Cited
Summary: Symbolism As a Big Part Of The Story. (2024, Feb 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/summary-symbolism-as-a-big-part-of-the-story-essay
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