Everyday Use

Everyday use is a story of a woman, a black woman and two kids. She started the story describing her backyard that she made it with Maggie. She was humble, hard worker, caring person. After that she talks about a TV show. And she said that the TV program only shows a dream of life, a dream of how they want to live. But reality is not that easy to live, life is a lot more complicated than what the show describes. The show hides the reality behind an imagination. In reality she is fat and with man-working hands, because when she was younger she lived during segregation. She does not have education because of the segregation, but her kids do have education and enjoy it.

Her two kids are two totally different personalities describing the society. Dee was the imagination, she was always dreaming just like the TV. Dee has nice hair and fuller figure, she represents the white people. She is always walking with her face up and always dreaming of life, a better life. Maggie was different she always walk with her head down and eyes on the ground feet in shuffle since they lost their first house. Dee hated the house but Maggie loved it. She enjoys living there. Dee has a few friends but Maggie has one. Dee was so ashamed of her life that she always leaves with her friends. Dee was so ashamed that she changes her name to Wangero.

The story’s subtitle For your Grandmamma is because at the middle of the story Dee confronts her mother because she wanted something her grandmamma made. But She was saving that to Maggie’s wedding. But Dee was impulsive and wanted that piece nothing else. Maggie gave it to her because she felt so bad that Dee does not have anything even though she was never home. Dee wanted a better life; she wanted the best and left the worst to Maggie.

This story as I understand it is cultural and ethical. Because they represent a culture of African American people during a period of time that was not like ours in present. In that moment there were very less opportunities to an African American to develop and be somebody in the society. After all Dee is the chosen of the family to be that somebody, but then Dee really changed her personality when she moved from the house. She disrespected her family by taking away the only thing they have left, the only thing her mom preserve for Maggie, and totally disrespect her mother by taking everything with a value in her house. Dee left them with nothing.

I think this story is just the reflection of most people that do the same thing. That thinking of them they forget of their families and leave them with nothing. And it is not only in that time but in present we see it a lot. Maybe not under the same circumstances but the same situation.