“Everyday Use”

1. “Everyday Use” Alice Walker

2. HistoricalBackground • Written in 1973 • Black Nationalism/ Black Pride • Ideas encouraged African-Americans to learn about their African ancestry • emphasized cultural, political, and economic independence for African Americans • Discriminated against women • Alice Walker was against this movement

3. Black Feminism • Women’s Rights • Movement was started by white suburban females • African-American women felt excluded • Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor represented this movement

4. Point of View/Strategy/Purpose • 1st person – Retrospective • Retro = back / spec = looking • Ms. Johnson is uneducated, but uses sophisticated diction to explain her narrative • Expresses mixed emotions about her two daughters, Dee and Maggie • Strategy • Narrative • Comparison/Contrast • Purpose • To express/explore the traditional vs. progressive attitudes of young African-American females.

5. Symbolism and the Quilts ancestry • Quilts contained pieces of the clothes Maggie and Dee’s grandparents wore. • Presents a snapshot of the life of the Johnson heritage. life struggle

6. Symbolism and the Quilts • Dee • Perceives the quilt as an ornate item/artifact of her culture • Wants to hang the quilts • Maggie • Perceives the quilt as both a product and a process (quilt making is process) upon which her way of life is dependent • Quilts should be put to “everyday use” rather than hung on a wall. • Scarred body resembles the faded patches of the quilts.

7. Language of Ms. Johnson • 2nd grade education • Can be described as simple to complex • Uses simple sentence constructions and words to express complex perceptions and feelings

8. Contrasts • Maggie • Shy, devoted, awkward, sweet-natured, domesticated • Dee • Outspoken, stylish, attractive, “educated”, free spirited • Attitudes • Traditional vs. progressive

9. Dee’s Name • Named after her Grandma • Regards “Dee” as a slave name • Denies her authentic heritage by changing her name

10. Irony/Taking Pictures of House • House • Hated her house, but wanted to show friends pictures of her house • The Quilts • Refused them when her mother tried to offer them to her; now she wants to display/show them off.

11. Title of the Story • Quilts should be put to everyday use – not hung. • Quilting symbolizes the process out of which the unimportant and meaningless may be transformed into something that is valued and useful.

12. Homework • Questions on Writing Strategy and Language • Explain each of these themes as it corresponds to “Everyday Use” Heritage, Materialism, Community vs. Isolation • “Everyday Use” was published ten years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Explain how the story reflects the themes of “I Have a Dream” In other words, how is Walker commenting on the aftermaths of this movement? • Beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, many African Americans resembled Walker’s character Dee in embracing their heritage – particularly their roots in Africa – to claim a history beyond slavery and segregation. Research the specifics of this movement and write an essay on how it influenced literature,education,fashion, and other aspects of American life. • Responses must be at least three paragraphs in length, containing 6-8 sentences.