Introduction
"Everyday Use" by Alice walker narrates a tale of a mother’s conflicting relationship with her two daughters, Maggie and Dee. At its core, the story reveals how the mother is gradually unconvinced with the superficial morals of the eldest daughter Dee in favor of the practical morals and values of her less fortunate younger daughter Maggie (Kathleen 37). Notably, Alice Walker explores the concept of cultural heritage. Dee has been exposed to advanced education in Georgia before getting employed in an urban setup. In contrast, Maggie stayed at home with her mother. The story was set in the late '60s and early ‘70s in a family domain and has significantly incorporated the principal characters, including Mama Dee and Maggie, to expand on the concept of cultural theme. (Kathleen 39). Therefore, through the incorporation, such aspects including power, individual perception, social constructs, race, and gender, the paper aim to explore how the story applies to our current world.
The Heritage of Lived Experience and Applications in Modern Society
In modern society, there are evident differences and similarities between the current families and families of decades. Although significant differences in setting exist, multiple family concerns, and situations are similar. Besides, many modern families still adore and perceive certain practices sacred, with a typical example being culture (Orlando Sentinel 11). In modern contemporary societies, many families are still interested in knowing their origin backgrounds, including both parents and children. However, it is worth noting that the importance of culture to the families are different. Many people believe that their actions determined by ancestral characteristics and behavior. Mama makes a self-description of herself as a large big-boned personality with rough and man like working hands. She further reveals that she can kill and clean the hogs mercilessly, just like a man. Ideally, the self-description makes us draw such conclusion that Mama takes pride in herself in practical aspects of her gender and that she has not wasted much time envisioning abstract aspects like heritage. Ideally, perception can be traced from the traits of ancestral women of the time (Evans 87). Therefore, in contemporary society, one may perceive or believe that a trait like cunning may have been inherited from a past relative.
The depiction of family background in "Everyday Use" is what makes the literary work significant and unique. The author intertwines the concept of African culture and its role in family life. She achieves this objective by the portrayal of the two constating daughters. Maggie and her mother hold the notion that one culture is based on such a foundation of methods of thinking and inherited objects. In contrast, Dee perceives culture as an aspect no longer relevant in the modern world and that it has been passed by time. Dee's sentiments of irrelevancy of culture can be evident in contemporary society regarding gender-based work discrimination. Women have gained significantly in the labor market participation by assuming multiple responsibilities previously categorized as men's duties (Evans 109). The move has changed the traditional scope and perception in workplaces, and gender equality is a work in progress since gender imbalance is still evident.
Contemporary society has significantly transformed since both genders can assume any work. Gender has shaped multiple women's approach to employment. In contemporary society, people in low power positions disregarding gender or class tend to exhibit other-oriented rather than self-oriented aspirations and behaviors, just like Mama Dee, who aspires to be like a man. Therefore, women's experiences, both at work and home, are primarily shaped by social class interactions. For instance, in the American workforce, gender imbalance exists as many women have reported that more men exist than women in their workplaces due to different sets of experiences and education. (Evans 145). However, women have continued to have such aspirations of being like men, as Mama describes. This takes us to the aspect of education in "Everyday Use."
The most significant aspect of the story revolves around how culture has been influenced by education, particularly by the different perceptions of characters in the story. The varied points of view related to the culture have created tension through the short story. Through the incorporation of contrasting techniques, while demonstrating the character's points of view, Alice Walker achieves the significance of culture in our current lives in comparison to culture practiced in the past. Through calculated attitudes and descriptions, Walker illustrates the factors that dictate and individuals’ values, heritage, and culture. Moreover, she notes that lifestyle and attitude cannot be symbolized by mere appearances or possession of objects.
Lack of Reciprocity and Relevance of the Story to Modern Society
Walker uses personification to bring out various aspects of culture through the contrast between Dee and her mother. Maggie and her mother represent traditional generations since their actions are based on beliefs and past ancestral traits. Alice Walker portrays Maggie to be similar to her mother, who passed the traditions to her through teaching. At some point, Mama points out that, “Maggie is conversant with heritage, as she always knows how to make some more quilt." (Kathleen 47). lack of refinement and education does not stop Mama Dee from inherent knowledge and deep understanding of heritage based on her respect and love for those were there before her. This is evident from her ability to combine pieces of fabric in two quilts with the people whose clothes they had been cut from. On the other hand, Dee demonstrates traits of vulnerability and does not take any initiative to learn how to quilt and seem to be contented with her education.
The quilts devices are significant as they have a special and unique meaning to Mama since when she moves the quilts, she reaches out to people represented by the quilts. In particular, Alice Walker uses quilts as a symbol factor that creates unity between women. In "Everyday Use," the bond is between women of several generations. Therefore, it can be evident that culture and heritage play a significant role in the book, and the concept of culture, heritage, and symbolism is still embraced in modern society. Culture has been an expression of how were perceive the word, environment and asses our perception and the people we meet. In the modern world, it has help people to position themselves within the vicinity of their environment, and some have resorted to abandoning their cultures while some still follow their culture to the later. Culture has been used by modern societies to foster tolerance, overcome differences while strengthening social cohesion.
Notably, the quilts are not the only device Alice Walker employs to show Mama’s inherent understanding of heritage. Walker also incorporates butter churn to shed light on Mama’s connection with her family. Ideally, the family connection is the strongest bond that modern societies have continued to cultivate continuously. Dee laments that her mother and sister are not appreciating her heritage. ‘Everyday Use’ is a clear symbolization of the way the life of most people in modern society is demonstrated. In modern society, freedom and democracy have taken its toll, including members of the society. Children have become antagonistic to their parent's culture, which is no big deal as could be evident during traditional times. Section of black Americans has despised their history, while others still embrace their traditions. Those who pay no attention to their tradition have instead embraced foreign cultures and have paid less attention to their peers or the culture of their close family members (Madsen 157). They have attempted to be opportunistic and become popular within the context of foreign tradition through assertiveness. This is a representation of most black Americans in contemporary society.
On the other hand, the progress in the rural south is slow, since they embrace the importance of family and culture. They upheld and live by the conservative approach, thus making them embrace family structures and culture, and distance themselves from urbanism cultural practices (Meade 89). Notably, some individuals who have abandoned their cultural practices are still trying to hold it in circumstances where it is in their favor. They are in a crossroad and dilemmatic situation, thus making them live by incorporating and embracing both traditional and urbanism. These group of people achieves their objectives through the use of artifacts, antiques, and souvenirs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Alice walker presents a unique scenario in Everyday use concerning the cultural identity of African Americans, who have mixed perceptions concerning tradition and modernity. They have incorporated their cultural aspects in modern society, making some to abandon their culture completely. Moreover, through the short story, Walker illustrates that it is not easy to change one’s characteristics just as evident with Dee. Changing one culture is impossible at some point since the cultural heritage is being passed from one generation to the next. However, this may change through individual exposure on such aspects, including education and environmental set up.
