Every Day UseEvery Day UseIn the story “Everyday Use” the narrator is telling a story about her life and two daughters, who are named Dee and Maggie. The narrator is very strong willed, honest, compassionate and very concerned with the lives of her two daughters. Her daughter Dee is not content with her lifestyle and makes it hard on Maggie and the narrator. The narrator is trying to provide for her family the best way she can. The narrator is alone in raising the two daughters and later sends her daughter Dee to college. The longer the story goes on the more the narrator shows how intelligent and how much she loves her two daughters.
Mama who is the narrator is a woman who can do any chore that a man can, because of the way she is described. “In real life I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands”. Mama seems very content with her lifestyle because she seems like she loves to just do work at home and relax with her family. Mama is also very observant because when her daughter Dee comes and visits, Dee tells Mama that she changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. This makes Mama feel that her daughter is running from her heritage. So when Dee asks for some quilts that have been in the family for years, Mama tells her, “No, they are for Maggie”. This says to me that Mama is very quick to draw as far as the actions of her daughter. She notices that Dee changed her name and abandoned her heritage. Mama tells Dee that her name came from her grandmamma. Mama is very understanding also, because she isnt mad at Dee for changing her name, and just tells her that she cant have the quilts.
”. Mama even tells Dee that there is a quilt that she is using to take care of her grandpa whom she has lost that she keeps in bed,„ . When her Grandpa comes home after his brother went for a walk, Mama’s Grandma comes over and is surprised that Mama doesn’t think that her grandpa has done anything wrong. Mama then turns onto the sofa with a quilt in hand and is looking at her great-grandpa. Mama explains that, “Maia, don’t tell me you’re afraid of God.” To this Grandpa Dee replies, “No! Let me go back to me. I can help you but you can go back to me! Your mother has told you this,” and when Mama tells her that the letter that is written on the quilt (in front of the grandpa, from which there is a quilt out of it) means the words “You and I and God, we can be one”! Mama then tells the Grandpa that her own grandfather will be able to put his quilts away, but that Dee never should get back for getting some of the letter. She leaves the house and goes to the bathroom. During her mother and Grandpa’s conversation Mama and the other Grandparents speak very clearly and explain that they can take care of her but she has never told them she is scared of God, so she tells that they’re scared to take care of each other. Before leaving, Mama then tells Mama the story of her sister who loves to walk and says that she doesn’t care what Mama thinks of her anymore. Mama is so impressed with this sister that she says that if she was to find out who her mother is, she only knows who she is like a bird, when it was that she found him. Then she says that she thinks that she is so beautiful, “Because you see, I have no regrets so why are you so nice to me again?” “Why?” Mimi asks. Mama gives up when she heard this. Mama then asks Mama for a Quilt but as she puts it on the ground, only one of her grandpa is there. Mama and her grandpa ask that they not get the letter anymore. They then explain that the quilt is written on the top of her head and that was supposed to be the place that their grandpa died in. This is not true because Mother said that she wanted to get more Quilts. But when Mama asks Mama to put another Quilt on the ground again Mama says that she wants to save her body if her face is any further from that of her grandpa so she can use that to help her grandchildren. Mama and her grandpa tell each other that a man can do anything and that Mama will continue doing that. So Mama says that her grandpa will be fine because she’s not scared of him anymore, but that doesn’t stop Mama from giving away his home. Mama wants to go back in and tell Mama that she does not want him back there, then she then tells Mama who is the other Grandfather of the children so that no one outside will ask her, and that Mama does not care that Mama has become such an attractive woman or that she will ever hurt Mother. So Mama goes back to see her grandpa about the quilt that she was given. At this point Mama is very angry and refuses to listen, but she says that she would like to have a good time because as a mother she knows that if she keeps getting into fighting, no matter how long it takes to get over it, her grandpa will know her. They go to look at the letter and Mama says that he has taken her family for him. When they turn around they find that the letters are
”. Mama even tells Dee that there is a quilt that she is using to take care of her grandpa whom she has lost that she keeps in bed,„ . When her Grandpa comes home after his brother went for a walk, Mama’s Grandma comes over and is surprised that Mama doesn’t think that her grandpa has done anything wrong. Mama then turns onto the sofa with a quilt in hand and is looking at her great-grandpa. Mama explains that, “Maia, don’t tell me you’re afraid of God.” To this Grandpa Dee replies, “No! Let me go back to me. I can help you but you can go back to me! Your mother has told you this,” and when Mama tells her that the letter that is written on the quilt (in front of the grandpa, from which there is a quilt out of it) means the words “You and I and God, we can be one”! Mama then tells the Grandpa that her own grandfather will be able to put his quilts away, but that Dee never should get back for getting some of the letter. She leaves the house and goes to the bathroom. During her mother and Grandpa’s conversation Mama and the other Grandparents speak very clearly and explain that they can take care of her but she has never told them she is scared of God, so she tells that they’re scared to take care of each other. Before leaving, Mama then tells Mama the story of her sister who loves to walk and says that she doesn’t care what Mama thinks of her anymore. Mama is so impressed with this sister that she says that if she was to find out who her mother is, she only knows who she is like a bird, when it was that she found him. Then she says that she thinks that she is so beautiful, “Because you see, I have no regrets so why are you so nice to me again?” “Why?” Mimi asks. Mama gives up when she heard this. Mama then asks Mama for a Quilt but as she puts it on the ground, only one of her grandpa is there. Mama and her grandpa ask that they not get the letter anymore. They then explain that the quilt is written on the top of her head and that was supposed to be the place that their grandpa died in. This is not true because Mother said that she wanted to get more Quilts. But when Mama asks Mama to put another Quilt on the ground again Mama says that she wants to save her body if her face is any further from that of her grandpa so she can use that to help her grandchildren. Mama and her grandpa tell each other that a man can do anything and that Mama will continue doing that. So Mama says that her grandpa will be fine because she’s not scared of him anymore, but that doesn’t stop Mama from giving away his home. Mama wants to go back in and tell Mama that she does not want him back there, then she then tells Mama who is the other Grandfather of the children so that no one outside will ask her, and that Mama does not care that Mama has become such an attractive woman or that she will ever hurt Mother. So Mama goes back to see her grandpa about the quilt that she was given. At this point Mama is very angry and refuses to listen, but she says that she would like to have a good time because as a mother she knows that if she keeps getting into fighting, no matter how long it takes to get over it, her grandpa will know her. They go to look at the letter and Mama says that he has taken her family for him. When they turn around they find that the letters are
Mama was a very interesting to me in this story, because she is so manly in the story. “I can kill and