In 'Everyday Use', the setting is a rural Southern household. The era is characterized by a certain simplicity and a sense of cultural heritage. This setting influences the conflicts and resolutions within the story.
The short story 'Everyday Use' is about a mother and her two daughters and their different perspectives on family heritage and cultural identity.
The climax usually involves a significant moment of conflict or resolution. In 'Everyday Use,' it might be when the mother makes a decisive choice regarding the quilts and asserts her perspective on family heritage.
It's about a family and their different perspectives on heritage and the value of certain items. The story explores the relationship between a mother and her two daughters.
The theme of 'Everyday Use' is often seen as the exploration of heritage, family, and the different ways people understand and value their cultural background.
Another theme is family relationships. There's a complex dynamic between Mama, Dee, and Maggie. Dee has distanced herself from her family in some ways due to her pursuit of a different kind of life, while Maggie has stayed close to Mama. The conflict over the quilts also shows the strain in their relationships.
The antagonist in 'Everyday Use' could be seen as Dee. Her attitude and actions create conflict with the other characters.
Alice Walker wrote the short story 'Everyday Use'.
Mama is developed through her narration. We can see her love for both daughters, but also her weariness. For example, she describes how she's worked hard all her life and how she wants to do the right thing regarding the quilts.
The main theme is the idea of heritage. It shows the difference between a real, practical connection to one's heritage and a more superficial, trendy connection.
In 'Everyday Use', the quilts symbolize different things to different characters. For Dee, they are a symbol of a more glamorous and showy version of her heritage. She wants to hang them on the wall as if they were art pieces. But for Mama and Maggie, the quilts are symbols of family, love, and the practical side of heritage. They are meant to be used, like how their ancestors used them. The yard in the story also symbolizes the family's connection to the land and their roots. It's a simple, unpretentious place that represents the real, everyday side of their heritage, as opposed to Dee's more idealized and somewhat removed view of it.