Analyzing Characters of “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

Read and discuss Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” short story.

Is it surprising that Alice Walker would portray an educated, progressively-minded African American character like Dee in such a negative light? Which details does the mother leave out of the story that you wish she’d told us? How might they affect our interpretation of the story? Did you agree with the mother’s decision to give the quilts to Maggie? Is it possible to support the politics or ideas of a character such as Dee, who is so unlikeable? We’re told that the mother’s education ended in second grade, while Dee has been to college. How do their different educational backgrounds affect their relationship?