1 Critical Analysis of short story: Everyday Use by: Alice Walker The short story Everyday Use cannot

be fully understood if taken separately from the context in which it was created and from a writer who has created it. Alice Walker is an afro-American who literally built herself as a successful writer and public activist dedicating her life to fight for the right of Black people and later to fight for great political causes. Her childhood, education and first years of activity took place in times of the strongest discrimination of Black people and at the beginning of general movement in support of their civil rights [White (2), p.14]. Her contacts with Martin Luther King Jr. illustrate how deeplyrooted her immergence in the cause was, and it could not but influence the literary works she produced [ibid]. The action of the Everyday Use occurs at the verge of the 1960s and 1970s when the issue of re-identification and restoration of the slavery-bound historical past of the Black was the main issue on the social agenda of Afro-Americans. There were more active attempts to rediscover their heritage and duly assess contribution to the development of multicolored American culture [White (1)]. These attempts to face the past took different forms, from pure reverence to total rejection, yet one feature was invariable the growing desire to face it and make decisions. This conflict is a cornerstone of the story Everyday Use. The family of a mother and two daughters represents different trends of this movement towards themselves. Dee and Maggie are actually two opposing solutions which could be offered to the situation at that time. Dee is successful and modern; she left behind her quiet provincial life and took to new lifestyle and habits [Walker]. Maggie lives with her mother, in the story she is assigned all possible traits which could ever be ascribed to a newly liberated slave she is not very smart, has practically no education and is crippled [Walker]. While living in the second half of the 20th century, she repeats the way of her ancestors of the 19th century and even deeper times being humble, quiet and abiding others will (in this case her mothers).

2 Yet more crucial contradictions are hidden behind these two facades. For Dee past is past and burdensome, she was glad to leave it behind together with her poorly educated mother and underdeveloped sister. Her desire to have some family objects as memory and symbols of past is based not on the deep understanding of their true value as keepers of the family history, but rather on her wish to manifest her past which would make her success even more prominent [White (1)]. To Dee, quilts containing pieces of clothing of her ancestors tracing back to the Civil War times are no more necessary objects of daily (everyday) use, but mere decorations [Walker]. This drastic change in attitude shows how far from her roots she actually is. Her boyfriend (or husband) claims to be a Muslim, but does not stick to the way of life the Muslims down the road have [Walker]. Even Dees new African name aims to eradicate her historical past of slavery. However, name Dee is traditional for the family, and shedding it means losing the very core of her past family links. In this light behavior and character of Maggie looks different. Although not smart enough and crippled, she preserves the direct living links to the past, she regards the quilts not as decorative pieces of interior but as things which can and should be used every day. It is true that this use will wear them down, but Maggie knows how to make these quilts and can mend them or add pieces of her family clothing there to keep this ancestral message running through time [Walker]. She actually preserves the link to the past, and deserves the right to keep these things with her. However, both sisters are not ideal or eve worth blind imitation. The mother in the story sound like the reasoning voice of Afro-American culture, sober and critical although loving and caring [White (1)]. She understands that both daughters have drawbacks, and she has no illusions about Maggies future (marriage as a way to support her in life) [Walker]. Yet Dee is now far from their quiet way of life, and it is doubtful that she

3 will ever return to it. The remnants of the past will be better preserved in Maggies hands, and the mother decides in her favor while sharing the family heritage. Alice Walker created a bright and compelling story well illustrated through colorful speech of the mother. Her humor softens the bitterness of the small tragedy taking place and proves that Afro-American are sober-minded enough to preserve themselves through their culture [White (1)]. The only reasonable conclusion is that two sisters are two parts of a single person which should find understanding within one mind. It is impossible for conscious Afro-Americans to preserve their innocence from education and modern life demands, yet it does not mean the necessity to be ashamed of or reject their past as slaves and inferiors. It contributed to creation of the contemporary America, and should be remembered without any exceptions. Otherwise the family of future and past inside every Black person will not find peace and comfort.

4 Works Cited Walker, Alice. Everyday Use. [Retrieved from http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug97/quilt/walker.html] [Accessed 28

September 2012] White, David. Everyday Use: Defining African-American Heritage. 2001. Portals, Purdue North Central literary journal, 7(133), 2001. [Retrieved [Accessed from 28

http://www.luminarium.org/contemporary/alicew/davidwhite.] September 2012]

White, Evelyn C. Alice Walker: A Life. New York, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2004. pp. 1415.