Maggie says she can’t remember Grandma Dee without the quilts. It implies that her connection with the quilts is personal and emotional. It means a lot to her because of the people they represent and not merely because of the concept that they were stitched by hand. In contrast, Dee believes that traditions are about African culture and wants nothing to do with her family’s heritage until it is in style. When Dee admires the benches, Mama reminisces that the benches were made by Dee’s father.
In “A Pair of Tickets”, Jing-mei carried on her mom’s dream for her to meet her half twin sisters and to learn and understand more about her heritage. The similarities between these stories were that there was a mother-daughter relationship between Jing-mei and her deceased mother and between Mama, Dee, and Maggie. In Alice Walker’s, “Everyday Use” they were talking about a quilt which was basically a part of their heritage. The author showed the different type of mother daughter relationships when it comes to Dee, Maggie and Mama. Mama’s tone becomes compassionate when she speaks about Maggie.
Walker has her own unique method of developing the theme that appeals to many readers because she keeps the story line contemporary. She uses familiar people or objects to develop an appreciation for deeper ideas such as one’s family history. Specifically, Walker uses main characters of her short story “Everyday Use” to reveal the theme of family history. Heritage is a main idea behind this work and it is revealed through characters and objects. The Johnson family was an African American family, made up of individuals who place their own personal values on African American history.
Examples of these connections that impact on our sense of belonging are show through the texts, “Romulus My Father” and “The Lame Shall Enter First”. Notions regarding relationships with people, family and culture can have a huge impact on ones sense of belonging. The always changing nature of Raimonds relationship with his mother Christine, confronts us and alerts us as to how the nature of family and family values affects ones self identitiy. Although Christine suffers with her own mental well-being, somewhere between all the pain and suffering, Raimond and herself share a strong sense of understanding with each other, “I was glad of her presence, which comforted me more that food.” Further more, contrasted with Raimond’s proud and admirable representation of his father, Gaita challeges notions of belonging, as it ironically can both inhibit and shape individual values and morals, “My fathers devoted care for me contrasted obviously with her(christine) neglet of me.” Gaita is able to paint an intimate portrait of his father through his characterisation of him. It is through this portrayal that the composer may come to understand his complex father, and strengthen his emotional bonds with him, after his death.
Although she does not have this part of her heritage, the persona finds a quilt that she says, “I’d like to die under” (Line 14) . This quilt will not only keep her warm, but it also has the same solace as her grandmother’s special blanket. The character’s “found” quilt is able to inspire her just as her grandmother’s quilt enables her to and is effectively capable of representing her family heritage. The quilt, based on the description in the poem, has recurring squares of white, yellow, and brown. These squares represent the various colors of the character’s family.
Since the husband’s role is to go out and provide a living for his family, the wives job is to look after the home. It may not be considered a public work, but her position within the home is still very vital and important. Her role is a non income producing activity, but ensures the success of the family. Another role for a Christian wife is the raising of her children. Titus 2: 3-5 states that, "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored," (The Christian Woman", 2004).
Direct characterization is when the narrator, in this case ‘Mama’, tells the reader what the character’s traits are. For instance, when Dee wants the quilts Mama says “I didn’t want to bring up how I had offered Dee (Wangero) a quilt when she went away to college. Then she had told me they were old-fashioned, out of style” (114). Dee leads Mama to think that she [Dee] is self-centered and judgmental of their heritage, represented by the quilts. By rejecting the quilts the first time Dee rejected their culture.
Motherhood Raising a child is not easy especially when a mother is subjected to racial discrimination, poor socioeconomic conditions, daily scrutiny or ethical questions. Two well-known authors, Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks, poetically express some of these struggles that surround the theme of motherhood. Langston Hughes’ “Mother to Son” reveals that this mother (Mother 1) is a caring individual who has to gently remind her son that “Life…ain’t…no crystal stair” (Pg.1254). Life is not going to be easy for the mother or child, but having the gift and opportunity of life is something that many people take for granted. In contrast, Gwendolyn Brooks’ “the mother” exposes the reality and un-motherly act of abortion.
In the beginning of the story, Dee comes to her mother's home with a much different appearance as an educated urban girl while her family members are as the backward sharecroppers at a remote village. The central conflict in the story is the quilt made by Maggie and Dee's mother, aunt (Big Dee), and grandmother. Dee insists on taking the quilt home to display in her home but Mrs. Johnson informs her that she promises to give the quilt to Maggie once she marries John Thomas (Walker 284). After Dee hears that the quilt has already been promised to Maggie, she is worried that if Maggie is using and touching the delicate quilt on a daily basis as a warm blanket and then
People have their point of view to this controversial issue, Like Dee (Wangero) in the story, in paragraph 70, line 4, “Hang them,” she said. As if that was the only thing you could do with quilts. That was one of the good ways, I have to admit. But when Maggie gave out what she thoughts, I was really touched by what she said. In paragraph 70, line7, “She can have them, Mama,”...” I can ’member Grandma Dee without the quilts.” After read what Maggie said, suddenly I got the same feeling with Mama (Mrs. Johnson), in paragraph 75, line 7- When I looked at her like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet… I did something I never had done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangro’s hands and dumped them into Maggie’s lap.