Reading this story from momma's point of view creates the feeling that the story is told from a genuine point of view with no biased feeling toward anyone, just the truth. Momma's point of view defines how she feels about her daughters and the level of separation that exist between the two daughters. Momma describes Maggie as a partially educated child who does not look as captivating as Dee. It’s because Maggie was burned in a house fire that left her burned all over her body and that’s the reason she doesn’t wear revealing clothes unlike Dee. Dee, on the other hand, is described as an educated young woman who is ready to take on any and every adventure.
Dee mistakes her family background for material and desires racial heritage because she went to school with other people and friends with popular ideas. Maggie never experienced school other than her family life. Maggie’s appearance and style shows that heritage is not solely defined by material things. Mama describes Maggie as “… homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe” (Walker 476). The scars on Maggie’s body from the fire have shaped her personality and represent a deeper meaning.
The narrator states the mother’s resentment of Connie’s beauty because “her looks were gone and that was why she was always after Connie.”[451]. Connie doesn’t make the situation between the two any better by instigating her mother with curt answers and rude responses. “Her parents and her sister were going to a barbecue at an aunt’s house and Connie said ‘no’, she wasn’t interested, rolling her eyes to let her mother know exactly what she thought.”[453]. the only time Connie fully admits that she truly did love her mother was when she was crying in the phone for her. Connie’s father is a quiet bystander when it came to his wife and daughter heated arguments.
"(Walker, ). And at that time, Mrs. Johnson realized that Maggie carries the tradition of quilting as well as the quilts itself. For her and Maggie quilting is more of an important tradition to pass on than to just know how “priceless” it is. And in the end of the story, the mother chose to give the quilts to Maggie, instead of Dee, because by giving them to Maggie, Mrs. Johnson knows the connection of heritage of her family will continue to exist in the future. From the explanation above we could conclude that Dee is someone that wants to preserve heritage and believes that they are objects to be observed and looked upon.
“She thinks her sister held life always in the palm of her hand, and that “no” is a word the world never learned to say to her.”(Walker 423) Around Dee, Maggie is ashamed of the burns scars down her arms and legs, and walks funny ever since. Mama is aware of this and describes the posture she’s always in after the fire “That is the way my Maggie walks. She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, and feet in shuffle.”(Walker 424) While mama waits for Dee’s arrival, she dreams of a time where Dee can finally acknowledge her as a mom and that she can finally understand that she shaped her into the intelligent, beautiful woman that she is today. ”Then we are on the stage and Dee is embracing me with tears in her eyes.”(Walker 424) but she also states that Dee does not like the shape of her body “I am the way my daughter would want me to be: a hundred pounds lighter, my skin like an uncooked barley
There are very little jobs available to her because of her race and she is considered a part of the Finch's family. She is proud to be the caretaker for the family and they all treat her with respect. Calpurnia is the caretaker of the Finch's and she cares for them as if they were her own family. She is not concerned with becoming famous within in the town because family is the most important thing to her. In the book, it appears that Calpurnia lives a double life.
She is obviously content with the route she has chosen to entertain Bovanne, and Bovanne is as well. Ms. Hazel’s son, Task, is one to approach her. He claims that his mother’s dress was too short and low-cut for “a woman her age.” As much as an independent woman she proves to be, during the time period she embraced the liberation women were given. Ms. Hazel shows unconditional affection to the elders in her community, although her community does not always approve of her tactics. She remembers
Mama and Maggie's connections to their heritage comes from their memories, not their race so they're confused about Dee's new image. Each of them values their possessions for different reasons because of their differing viewpoints. Mama has strong family ties and views family as important. She believes that her heritage is something to be cherished. One can see this in the way she handles the situation with her daughter Dee.
Though the story is of first person perspective, seen through the eyes of “Mama”, the daughter Dee is seen as brash and pompous. There’s also Maggie, the youngest daughter. Burned on the arms and legs from a house fire, Maggie is “homely and ashamed” and “…not bright…,” envying Dee as having always “held life always in the palm of one hand”. With it being Mama’s point of view, the reader can have a skewed perspective, causing the reader to sympathize with Mama instead of her daughter Dee, who although has many character flaws, is genuine and sincere. From an objective point of view, both Mama and Dee are mindfully dismissing pieces of their heritage and are delusional to reality.
Unfortunately, in the process of obtaining an education Dee abandons her family heritage replacing it with a new “modern” way of life. Mama tells the story of Dee’s visit to the family home from college. In “Everyday Use” the narrator, Mama, characterizes herself and her younger daughter, Maggie, as uneducated and ignorant; however, one will find although they did not obtain a college education like Mama’s older daughter Dee, Mama and Maggie are far more knowledgeable of their own heritage than Dee. Despite Dee’s college education, it becomes obvious that when it comes to family heritage she is the one who is ignorant not Mama and Maggie. As the narrator, Mama, describes herself it is evident she has low self esteem.