Everyday Use Essay: A short story written by Alice Walker, Everyday Use revolves around the theme of culture, heritage and consciousness of the same. It was published in 1973 for the first time.
The short story is told in a narrative form in a first-person voice. The three main characters of the story are Mama, Dee and Maggie. Mama is an African-American woman who is the narrator of the story.
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Long and Short Essays on Everyday Use for Students and Kids in English
We are providing a long essay on Everyday Use of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the same topic along with ten lines about the topic to help readers.
Long Essay on Everyday Use 500 Words in English
Long Essay on Everyday Use is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.
Everyday Use is a short story authored by Alice Walker. It was published for the first time in 1973, as a chapter of Walker’s short story collection Love and Trouble. The story of Everyday Use revolves around the themes of acknowledgement of one’s culture, heritage and tradition and their proud acceptance. The story can be categorized as a narrative through conflict resolution. Various interpretations of the short stories are presented and studied. Everyday Use is a widely studied piece of literature to imbibe moral principles.
Everyday Use is the story of a mother who struggles to maintain a coherent relationship with and between her daughters. The story is recited in the first person. The readers perceive the story through Mama, the mother. The mother is an African- American woman, who has two daughters, Dee and Maggie. Both of her daughters are contrary in nature and morality. The story is majorly focused on the acknowledgement of one’s own culture and heritage. In Everyday Use, Alice Walker uses symbolic settings to portray the vitality of upholding and respecting the true value of African-American culture.
The story begins with Mama waiting in her yard for Dee to come home. Mama is also worried about her youngest daughter, Maggie, because she feels anxious around Dee. The difference in physical and emotional characters between Dee and Maggie becomes a reason for Mama’s worry. The readers are introduced about Maggie and her scars, that was caused to her a long time ago when their house caught fire. Maggie is reflected as a timid, weak girl with unattractive physical properties. In contrast, Dee is a tall and handsome girl with nice hairs. Dee is very well educated and an independent woman who is also a member of the Black Nationalists. Dee’s dominant personality and moral deeds make Maggie anxious because, while Mama carried Maggie out of the burning house, Dee kept smiling at the fire and felt happy about it.
Dee educates herself and becomes independent. She sometimes visits her Mama and Maggie, but her moral principles often lead to arguments. The visit introduced to the readers has one such argument as the interpreted solution to the disparity created. Dee brings home her mate, Hakim to her Mama’s house. While going to bed, she asks for an extra quilt and Mama denies it, saying she promised it to Maggie for everyday Use. This leads to an argument between Mama and Dee. Quit here is one of the symbols of everyday Use. The defining of quilts can be noticed as the introduction of heritage and history behind it. Dee argues for the quilts to be adorned because of their cultural heritage, but Mama argues that it must be appreciated and used. Mama and Maggie share similar views of respect towards their cultural, whereas Dee has a different perspective towards preserving culture and tradition.
Everyday Use is a conflict between two perspectives of valuing a culture of African-American society. The usage of everyday Use African-American household things are the symbols that paint the picture for the readers.
Short Essay on Everyday Use 150 Words in English
Short Essay on Everyday Use is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Everyday Use is a short story authored by Alice Walker. It was published in 1973 as a part of the short story collection In Love and Trouble. The central theme of the short story is consciousness and perceiving about one’s own culture.
The story revolves around three characters, Mama, Dee and Maggie. The narration is in first-person voice portrayed by Mama. Dee and Maggie are daughters of an African-American woman (Mama) who have different approaches to culture and heritage.
The story begins with Mama waiting for Dee to visit them and ends with Dee leaving Mama’s house. In the plot, various symbols are used to explain the cultural and heritage importance of everyday Use things of the African-American society.
One of these symbolic materials contributes to a conflict between Mama and Dee. The conflict further presents a different point of views on how the African-American culture must be preserved and appreciated by the generations. There are various interpretations of the story and its morals.
10 Lines on Everyday Use in English
- Everyday Use is a widely studied literary piece.
- Alice Walker writes everyday Use.
- The short story was first published in 1973 in the short story collection In Love and Trouble.
- The story is based on an African-American family residing in the 1800s.
- Everyday Use is based on the theme of consciousness towards their own’s culture and heritage.
- Everyday Use is narrated in a first-person voice.
- The three main characters of the story are Mama, Dee and Maggie.
- The readers read the story standing at the place of Mama, the mother.
- The use of symbols has painted quite a picture of the African-American culture.
- The conflicts in views cause the disparity and end to an open, interpreted ending.
FAQ’s on Everyday Use Essay
Question 1.
What is the main theme of Everyday Use?
Answer:
Everyday Use talks about the treasuring and respect of cultural symbols of the African-American society. It reflects the consciousness one needs to possess towards his/her own culture. The dilemma of optimistic or pessimistic perspective is subject to interpretations.
Question 2.
Are looks and physical attributes given priority in everyday Use?
Answer:
Everyday Use uses physical attributes to symbolize the difference in nature and upbringing. Using physical attributes, the writer wants the readers to understand that both her daughters are very different from each other and herself.
Question 3.
What are the symbols used in Everyday Use?
Answer:
The Symbols used in Everyday Use are benches, butter churn and dash and the quilt. All these everyday use materials are used as a symbol to represent the significance of cultural and heritage of an African-American family. The story deals with the interpretation of how the culture must be respected.