Everyday Use Maggie Character Analysis

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There are major and minor characters in literature as in life. Aside from the family members and friends who have been highly influential, the major character in my life is myself. As a seemingly confident individual I often mask my insecurities by not being completely honest with others and myself about how I truly feel. In this respect I can relate to Amanda in For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls who puts on an act in front of the world to make her life seemingly ideal. Extending on that, Maggie in Everyday Use does not voice her opinion due to her insecurities, which I am also guilty of. Lastly, the little girl Marian from A Visit of Charity performs her duties as told which I can connect with because occasionally I feel I am simply running…show more content…
Though she does not hide her insecurities as much as Amanda does. She does not put on an act because she is very shy and can be best understood through her body language. Mama observes this behavior in the beginning of the text by explaining “Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners homely and ashamed” (297). Maggie is ashamed because of the “burn scars down her arms and legs” (297) from a house fire years ago. The insecurities of Maggie’s character are not just skin deep, much like my own. Her older sister Dee is very flamboyant and educated, both of which are threatening to Maggie who “eyes her with a mixture of envy and awe” (297). Maggie is intimidated by those around her whom she feels are better than she is. Although my insecurity is not as extreme as Maggie’s I still at times feel ashamed of the way I look or am susceptible to those around me. However as previously stated in my comparison to the character of Amanda I often mask this insecurity through a more confident persona, which Maggie’s character does not do. Unlike Amanda and Maggie’s characters’ sense of insecurity due to their differences to the general public, Eudora Welty writes about a girl named Marian who seems to be just like everyone…show more content…
She wears a “pointed white cap all the little girls were wearing that year” (94) which suggests that she follows all of the trends in society and has little individuality. She introduces herself as a “Campfire Girl” instead of using her real name, implying that she has no strong sense of self-identity. There are often times I can relate to this character as I catch myself following trends of various sorts. For example, in our society it could be considered a “trend” to attend a university after earning a high school degree. Society has formed a timeline for most Americans to follow and I often find myself going through the motions of a typical American young adult. This character is expressed in a way that makes the reader believe she too goes through the motions in order to receive “merit points”. Marian’s character visits the “Old Ladies’ Home” because it is required for her as a Campfire Girl. Similar to this character’s story my high school volunteer work was, ironically, mandatory. Society ultimately controls many aspects of our lives without us always being aware of it. For example I signed up for five different clubs my first semester. The university told me to be involved and without mentally processes what I truly wanted to be a part of, I overwhelmed myself with involvement simply to be in the good graces of the community. Although I do my best to create my own path,

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