History In The Making
...all used to represent the main theme that heritage is something to always be proud of.
1. Objects
a. Quilts
i. Historical African-American woman
ii. Family heritage
iii. Changing of lifestyles
b. Sunglasses
1. The front yard
a. Life’s simplicity
b. Plainness of the Yard
2. The Characters
a. Maggie
i. Tradition
b. Mama/Mrs. Johnson
i. Her narrating
ii. Her beliefs
a. Dee/Wangero
i. Appearance
ii. Name
iii. Attitude
iv. Symbol of Walker
History in the Making
Heritage is something that comes to or belongs to one by reason of birth. This may be the way it is defined in the dictionary, but everyone has their own beliefs and ideas of what shapes their heritage. In the story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, these different views are very evident by the way Dee (Wangero) and Mrs. Johnson (Mama) see the world and the discrepancy of who will inherit the family’s quilts. Symbolism such as certain objects, their front yard, and the different characters, are all used to represent the main theme that heritage is something to always be proud of.
The main objects of topic throughout the story are the quilts that symbolize the African American Woman’s history. Susan Farrell, a critic of many short stories, describes the everyday lives of African American Women by saying “weaving and sewing has often been mandatory labor, women have historically endowed their work with special meanings and significance” and have now embraced this as a part of their culture. The two quilts that Dee wanted “had been pieced together by Grandma Dee and then Big Dee and me [Mother] had hung them on the quilt frames on the front porch and quilted them” (par. 55) showing that these quilts were more valuable as memories than they were just blankets. The fabrics in the quilts “were scraps of dresses Grandma Dee had worn fifty and more years ago. Bits and pieces of Grandpa...
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