“Everyday Use” begins with Mother (Mama) and daughter Dee, cleaning and preparing their home in anticipation of the visit of a second daughter, Dee. Both daughters are unique in their own ways. Dee is confident, smart, and very fashionable. At 16 she knew who she was and what style of clothing she liked. She always had weird friends such as the nervous girls who worshipped her. Dee however had a bad temper. This resulted in a terrible breakup with Jimmy T who ended up marrying a cheap girl from a family of ignorant flashy people. Dee rejected her heritage when she lived with her Mama. She was disgusted with the house they lived in. She hated the house so much that, she is believed to have set it on fire. This fire scarred her sister Maggie and stole all Maggie’s beauty and confidence. The old house and the new house have two things in common. Both have three bedrooms and both are located in the pasture. The only difference is, the old house had a shingle roof but the new house has a thin roof with no windows and holes in the sides.
Dee is also intelligent. Due to this, the church and her Mama put money together to send her to college. Away from home, she comes to appreciate her heritage and pays her Mama and sister a visit with her new boyfriend Hakim-a-barber. He is a modern fellow. He has an afro hair do with a long bead. He belongs to the cattle people but he does not farm or rear cattle. Upon arrival Dee takes pictures of her Mama, Maggie and the new house making sure to capture the cow that passes by. She is emphatic on capturing animals and the house. Obviously her Mama does not know everything about her daughter. She does not know if she is married to Hakim-a barber and does not pry. When she calls her Dee she responds by saying she has changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. The name Dee is however a family name from four generations, however if a more accurate research is conducted on the name it might exceed four generations. Dee is named after her aunt Dicie who was named after her Grandmother who was named after her Mother.
Mama is a tolerant and hardworking woman and a good cook, though not educated. She prepares a meal for the arrival of Dee. At table, Mama observes that Hakim-a-barber is a practicing Moslem, who does not eat collards and pork. Dee on the other hand eats all her Mama has to offer; Chitlins, corn bread, green, sweet potatoes. Everything in her Mama’s house presently delights her. She has undergone some transformations. She now admires certain items her Mama has and wants them at all cost. She wants the old benches her Daddy made for the table; she wants Grandma Dee’s butter dish, and the churn top to use as a center piece for her alcove table. She wants the dasher and does not have any everyday use for it but would think of something artistic to do with it.
Maggie on the other hand stares at Dee without saying a word. She knows she is not bright and does not try to challenge her sister as she picks up items from the house and demands to keep them. Maggie lost all her confidence in the fire that scared her hands, arms and legs. Even her eye sight is bad hence she stumbles when she reads to her Mama. She is going to marry John Thomas who is also ugly. She however has a legacy which cannot be taken away from her. She was taught how to quilt by Grandma Dee and Big Dee. After dinner Dee goes into her Mama’s truck and pulls out two quilts pieced together by Grandma Dee and Big Dee. She wants the two of them. Her Mama explains to her she can have one or more of the other quilts she made because she had already promised Maggie the quilts on her marriage with John Thomas. Dee insists on having the quilts and explains that she does not want the other quilts because they are stitched around the borders by machine. Her Mama realizes she does not want to give up on the quilts.
Dee continues to explain to Mama that Maggie would not appreciate them because she would put them to everyday use. They are indeed meant for everyday use as Mama puts it, and not meant for hanging as Dee wants to use them for. Mama recalls that she gave Dee quilts when she was going to college but she did not accept them saying they were old fashioned and out of style. Dee is however angry and fuming with range that her Mama would not allow her to have the quilts. Maggie is terrified by Dee’s temper and wants Mama to give the quilts to Dee because she can remember Grandma Dee without the quilts. Mama snatches the quilts from Dee and gives them to Maggie. Dee’s feelings are hurt because no one says no to her. She walks away from the room to Hakim-a- barber complaining that Mama did not understand her need for the quilts. Mama asks Dee to explain further and she clarifies that the quilts are related to her heritage because they were made out of clothes worn by her Grandmother or Great Grand Mother 50 or more years ago. She wants people to recognize her heritage but her Mama’s mind is made up. Totally disappointed, she puts on her huge sunglasses, gives Maggie a good bye hug and advises Mama and Maggie to try to stay abreast with modern trends and on that note, they drive out of the compound. Relieved that Dee just left, Mama asks Maggie to get her some dip of snuff. They both sit outside enjoying their life till its bedtime and they retire into the house.

Topic: Read and critique Kate Chopin’s “The Storm”. How does the author want you to respond?


“ The Storm” by Kate Chopin, begins in a chronological order, with foreshadowing, symbolism and the power of imagination, which makes the reader keen to finish reading the story. The story is set in Bobinots home and the Friedheimer’s store. In the narration, a storm is approaching and Bobinot and his four year old son Bibi decide to stay in the Friedheimer’s store till the storm subsides. We are introduced to “leaves so still” even Bibi the little four year old boy thinks it’s going to rain. As the plot keeps unfolding, we are introduced to the dramatic situation where Calixta, Bobinot’s wife, is home alone and Alcee a man she knows from the past seeks shelter from the storm and Calixta lets her into her marital home. The reader at this point is thinking what is going to happen between a hot blooded man and a woman who is not his wife all locked up in a room, however the author points to the fact that, both of them know each other from the past.

One technique the writer uses to keep the reader in suspense is the narration technique. The story is in the third person omniscient. This technique gives the narrator full access to the unfolding of the plot, for example, the author makes Alcee ask Calixta if she remembers what happened in the Assumption and when she responds in the affirmative, and says “ ... For in Assumption he kissed her and kissed her and kissed her..”This is repetition for emphasis therefore it comes as no surprise when there is a sexual scene after this statement which synchronizes perfectly with the storm outside. The description is done so beautifully that readers react by judging Calixta and Alcee in their act of adultery because we know both Calixta and Alcee are married. The reader thus makes a connection from the beginning when we are introduced to the storm, the reader now knows, it’s not only a physical storm but a symbol of the sexual encounter between Alcee and Calixta. Therefore the title represents the sexual tension that builds between Alcee and Calixta. The tension increases as the storm becomes intense and after they both have each other, the storm subsides and “the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems”.

In the time period the story is set, which is the late nineteenth century, society had certain standards and restraints on the woman. However the author is making a statement about humans’ natural tendency towards sexual passion. The fact that Calixta is a woman did not mean she did not have any sexual feelings. Calixta is described as a typical wife playing the conservative wifely role; sewing, airing Bobinot’s Sunday clothes outside. These are the expected roles of a wife. Kate Chopin uses the many roles Calixta plays in the storm to illustrate the sexual constraints of women at the time. At one point, she is doing house chores with vigor and frustration. She is multitasking. However when Alcee arrives on the scene the clothes are in danger of blowing away because there is a strong wind approaching with the storm. Alcee grabs Bobinots pants to prevent the wind from blowing it way. This symbolizes the social and marital constraints of Calixta. She now talks excitedly about house work basically expressing the sexual tension she feels around Alcee.

Kate Chopin unfolds the sexual passion Calixta has built within by saying “… when he touched her breasts they gave themselves up in quivering ecstasy, inviting his lips”. These are stormy sexual passions Calixta has within her. Calixta’s sexuality is repressed by the constraints of her marriage and society’s view of women- the housekeeping and ‘baby-making’ role. Through this encounter with Alcee, Calixta is able to release her true feminine sexuality in a completely different manner than she is with her husband.

In conclusion, the author uses the power of the omniscient narrator to make believe his protagonist Calixta is having a sexual encounter with a married man and to make matters worse, she is not remorseful about that act. She watches her lover ride away and goes on to prepare super for her family. She even gives her husband a kiss on the check when he gives her shrimps he bought for her. This makes readers think Calixta is a bad and immoral woman. Alcee on the other hand is also very happy with his life and writes to his wife to extend her vacation. In a nutshell, the resolution of the story is, “after the sexual encounter, “… the storm passes and everyone is happy”. Kate Chopin makes a huge statement with her narration technique and it makes a reader think, if a man has sexual feelings, a woman is entitled to one also because at the end of the day, when a woman is happy ultimately the man is happy and the family at large is happy.

Topic: Write an essay of no less than three pages in response to the following: The author manages to create a relationship between the characters' heritage and the things they use everyday; what strategies did she employ to achieve this end? Develop specifically using information from your experience as well as citations from the source (Everyday Use by Alice Walker).

In “Everyday Use”, Alice Walker the writer creates a relationship between the heritage of the characters and the things they use every day. Alice Walker uses symbolism, irony and personification among others, to build the plot of the story. According to Webster’s New World Dictionary (2002), Heritage is a property that is or can be inherited, or a tradition that is handed down from one’s ancestors. Everyday use as the name implies is anything that is used on a daily basis. The relationship between heritage and everyday use in the story is symbolized by the quilts; the dasher to make butter; the churn used to make sour milk or butter milk; the old benches Dee’s Father made and the name Dee. Mother and Maggi in the story are personified as the preservers of heritage and Dee brings in conflict in the form of Irony by implying she understands heritage and is in a better position to conserve it when in actual fact, she is confused as to the how to preserve heritage by the exposure of her unbalanced thoughts. In my personal experience my heritage and everyday use are intertwined. My name, African clothes, beads, my skills in cooking traditional African dishes, which I learnt from my mother are symbolic of who I am.
In “Everyday Use”, Walker relates personification to everyday use by attributing it to the preservation of heritage. Though Maggi is scarred and lucks confidence, she is going to marry John Thomas. She has a legacy to carry to her marriage which cannot be taken from her. A legacy she can preserve by teaching her children to quilt since she was thought to quilt by Grandma Dee and Big Dee. After dinner when Dee rifles through her Mother’s truck and picks two quilts insisting to keep them, Maggi is not worried. She says to her Mother, “She can have them, Mama I can ’member Grandma Dee without the quilts” (page 284). Though she is not intelligent, she has skills of value which cannot be taken away from her. Maggi and her Mother have always lived in the country side. Though their old house burnt down, they got a new one which looked exactly like the old, indicative of their conservative nature. Dee confirms this by saying to Maggi “it’s really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you’d never know it” indicating that Maggi and her Mother still live as country people, using valuable possessions as everyday use when they could live in the city and use these possessions as valuable decorations to depict their heritage.
Dee according to Walker is delighted about everything in her Mother’s house when she visits. She is thrilled that her Mother still uses the benches her Daddy made for the table when they could not afford chairs. She thinks they are lovely and runs her hands underneath them to feel the rump prints. Mother believes in preserving her heritage, indicative of the good soul food cooking, anticipating Dee’s return. Dee on her part enjoys her Mother’s cooking and eats everything her Mother prepared. It can be implied that Mother cooks well because she learnt how to cook from her Mother, a heritage which is everyday use. I learnt how to cook from my Mother who learnt how to cook from my Grandmother. In America, when my extended family or a family friend is hosting a party, I am asked to cook a traditional food called ‘Banku’ and Okro soup which am an expert in making.
Symbolism in the power of a name is used as a strategy to develop the story and plays a very significant role. The name Dee is a symbol of heritage which is everyday use because she is named after her aunt Dicie who was named after her Grandmother who was named after her Mother. The name Dee is a heritage of the family which her Mother traces from memory to four generations. Dee professes to be a preserver of heritage but willingly gives up her name and takes up a Moslem name, Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. She is confused. How can she claim to be a firm believer in heritage when she throws away the only everyday use heritage anyone who meets her is bound to pronounce? My name is Cynthia Delali Noviewoo. I am from the Ewe tribe of Ghana, West Africa. My first name is Christian indicative of my baptism. My middle and last name traces me as far back as my village in Ghana. In Ghana, when I mention my name, out of the ten regions, the name connects me to only one region, the Volta Region because they are the only people who name their children that way. The Ewes according to history, escaped from Notsie located in Togo, West Africa because of a wicked King Agborkoli who was maltreating them. They escaped from tyrannical rule and relocated in Ghana and Benin and that is why Ewe is spoken in these three West African Countries and the reason why any of these three tribes anywhere in the world are able to identify my heritage by my name regardless of their educational status, based purely on the everyday use of my name. This is how powerful the heritage of a name is.
The use of irony brings conflict in Dee’s believe in heritage. She feels she is the only one in the family who is bent on preserving the family heritage because she is the only educated one in the family. She believes that being enlightened and living in the city with a dasher which she has no everyday use for and states “…and I’ll think of something artistic to do with the dasher.”(Page 283), and a churn top which she is going to use “as a centerpiece for the alcove table.” makes her a preserver of her heritage. She thinks that because these items were made by her ancestors the best way to preserve them is to use them as decorations and not as everyday use as they are intended for. Walker successfully uses Dee as an irony to contrast her believes and her actions. Another point worth noting that creates conflict and irony in Dee’s character is her change of name. She states that “… I couldn’t bear to be named after the people who oppress me.” Yet she wants to possess the heritage of those same people. She changes her name to a Moslem one and yet eats pork and collards which her Moslem boyfriend says are unclean; she is confused and not truly converted.
The relationship between heritage and everyday use is intertwined. Maggi and her Mother preserve their heritage by using it as everyday use and Dee claims to a strong advocate of her heritage by collecting items of everyday use as decoration for her room. When her Mother offers her the quilts before college she rejects them. In college, she is transformed by the teachings professes to be a firm believer in preserving her heritage. On her return home, she wants the quilts but her mother offers her alternative quilts from the ones she chose to keep. She rejects them because they are stitched around the borders by machine. She wants the quilts made out of clothes worn by her Grand Mother or Great Grand Mother 50 or more years ago. She wants to hang them for decoration and Maggi she claims will not appreciate the quilts because she will put them to everyday use. I preserve my heritage by using old utensils my parents used in their marital home. I wear the beads my Grandmother gave me and I teach my friends and nieces how to cook traditional meals and make local herbs like my Mother thought me. They are everyday use and to preserve my heritage i use them on a daily basis when the need arises.
Works Cited
“Ewe History.” http://www.bridgingdevelopment.org/ewehistory.htm. “Web.” Assessed
03/10/2010
“Heritage.” Webster New World Compact Desk Dictionary and Style Guide.
2nd ed. 2002. Print.
Lester, James, and Lester James Jr. Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide.
New York Pearson: Pearson, 2010. Print.
Kennedy, X.J and Gioia Dana. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing Compact Edition, 6th ed. Boston, Longman, 2010. Print.
“Regions of Ghana.”http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/geography/region.php.
“Web.” Assessed 03/10/2010