Let's try to break down "Everyday Use" by thinking about why a quilt is so meaningful. As much as we can joke about English teachers reading symbolism into everything, this story really seems to support the idea that sometimes a simple thing isn't just a thing--that we, as beings with strong emotions and memories, often attribute special meanings to the objects around us.
Dee is horrified at the possibility of Maggie putting the quilts in the story to "everyday use," but to Mama and Maggie, that is exactly what the quilts are for--to be put to use. Dee leaves believing that Mama and Maggie don't understand their own heritage, but her plans for the quilts and even other family heirlooms (like the butter dasher) suggest that Dee's comment shows how ironically out of the loop she is in terms of family history.
How do the characters in this story differ in their view of the quilts? What do they represent? What does Dee misunderstand about the quilts? How does the title, "Everyday Use," help us understand the symbolism and the clash between Mama and Dee over the meaning of heritage?
Dee is horrified at the possibility of Maggie putting the quilts in the story to "everyday use," but to Mama and Maggie, that is exactly what the quilts are for--to be put to use. Dee leaves believing that Mama and Maggie don't understand their own heritage, but her plans for the quilts and even other family heirlooms (like the butter dasher) suggest that Dee's comment shows how ironically out of the loop she is in terms of family history.
How do the characters in this story differ in their view of the quilts? What do they represent? What does Dee misunderstand about the quilts? How does the title, "Everyday Use," help us understand the symbolism and the clash between Mama and Dee over the meaning of heritage?