Asalamalakim!, Wa-su-zo-Tean-o!, and Salutations! This next entry deals exclusively with a little short story Ms. Alice Walker likes to call Everyday Use (for your grandmama). As of now, I like this story best, because it offers a unique twist on the typical Civil Rights-era literature. Oftentimes we read of an uneducated black family who graciously and anxiously waits for the day when their children won't have to grow up in the same world that they themselves grew up in; however, in this story it is the child trying to convince the mother and sister to update their views on life and how to live. I understand that this week's theme is characterization, and I found it difficult to read some of the characters in this story (Dee/Wangero specifically), but I am fairly confident in saying that Mama is a complex dynamic character. This is shown for her constant love and concern for both her dauthers Dee and Maggie, although in the final scene (paragraph 76) she stands up to the condescending Dee in an effort to save some hope for Maggie to cling onto in the world (literally the quilts to be used in "everyday use", not hung for cultural significance).
I think the part of the story I enjoyed the most was that it was told from Mama's point of view. Her colorful colloquial diction and humorous analysis of the scene she takes in as it unfolds added some much needed insight into the criticisms that surround those who misapply the Movement.
Fun Fact! Alice Walker has been arrested.
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