In contrast to Cindy’s new found self esteem, her mother seemed to uphold a strong lack of confidence in her daughter and in herself as well. By the same token, in the second article “The Thrill of Victory … The Agony of Parents”, the author presents the opposition through her mother. Jennifer Schwind’s mother appeared as an embarrassment to her publicly and emotionally. “In a voice so screeching that it rivaled fingernails on a blackboard, she told him that he was a disgraceful coach and that he should be ashamed of himself” (Pawlak 3). While in her mother’s eyes, she only supported her daughter and craved the absolute best for her child.
Knowledge is not always power because the more you know does not necessarily mean you understand what you have learned. In the short story “Everyday Use”, education seemed to make a rift in the relationship not only between the mother and the daughter, but also between the sisters. Dee was one to always try and outsmart her family members always seeking answers knowing no one knew. It was mama who eventually got the community together to help send Dee to school so her daughter would be happy and satisfied. The values of heritage seem to have been lost with the gain of knowledge when Dee has gone to college.
After the incident of her mother taken away from her she drastically became a whole another person. At her new foster home Antonia wasn't as nice as she once was. Antonia was rather rude to her foster parents Tillie and Luis. She was open minded and caring before but once she was brought into the new foster family it was as if she had lost these character traits. She still showed love to her mother and brothers but she still boxed out the foster parents who have treating her as a princess.
When Dee finds out that the quilts were already given to her sister, Dee gets furious and believes that she deserves the quilts more than Maggie and that Maggie would not take care of them as well as she would. Poor Maggie says to her mother "She can have them Mama...I can 'member Grandma Dee without the quilts". Maggie is used to never getting anything. Throughout the entire story, it says that Maggie gives up many things so Dee can have what she needs or wants. Dee is quite ungrateful.
Maggie wants them for sentimental value, she admits to putting them to "everyday use." She is not one to use them to show off or place financial values on like her sister would. Maggie and her mother share a unique stand point; they both seem to be very happy and content with their way of life. They are not financially well off, but they are living life to the fullest. Towards
She prefers to spend more time with herself than with her family because of this she has a weak relationship with her parents. The story discusses how she has two sides: one for home and one for not being home. Her abduction was solely due to her fault for her appearance that she presented in public, to the relationship that she had with her family and lastly her naiveness. The antagonist Arnold Friend somehow knew about Connie. He saw a great opportunity the moment he set his eyes on her.
We can see that she feels guilty because she had already promised Maggie the quilt but as she feels that Dee is superior than her she also wants her to keep just to probably not having an argument with her.We Her word choice gave me the image that she might even be a little scared of her daughters Dee knowledge. While with Maggie she seems to feel equal and probably favors her in the way that she knows that she won’t let her heritage down but most importantly she would very feel embarrassed of where she came from. As dee showed whenever she was younger and would never take friends over. If it was written in any other point of view we wouldn’t be able to sense all the emotional feelings that the narrator is able to transmit by writing in first person. It would be only as if they were trying to explain what another is feeling.
Priestley shows that they don’t care about what they have done when Mrs Birling says “And in spite of what has happened to the girl since, I consider I did my duty.” This shows that she doesn’t think she needs to responsibility for the part she played in Eva Smith’s death. However, when they fear there will be a public scandal they say “But surely…I mean…it’s ridiculous.” Mrs Birling thinks about what she has said and when she works out that it was Eric that got Eva Smith pregnant she tries to take back what she has said and convince the Inspector she was wrong. This conveys a dislike towards the Birling family because even when it is about a girl who has killed herself Mr and Mrs Birling are more concerned in looking out for themselves instead of helping in the
In a Sense Dee sees herself as better than her family, and believes they are ignorant and do not know their own heritage. Also her Mamma seems to idolize her in a way, there is some underlying jealousy. Mamma seems to put her own thoughts as Maggie’s in the story which is ironic. In this story irony is depicted in many ways: through Dee’s seeing her family as ignorant to their own heritage, when it’s actually Dee who can’t understand the value of her ancestry.
Connie fails to realize the great danger she takes on while over exaggerating her appearance and attitude. Her sister on the other hand conducts herself as a more modest girl and is the ideal vision of a “good” girl. Connie was in constant discord with her family because they did not approve of her actions but she cared less for she continued on with her conceited, selfish ways. "Why don't you keep your room clean like your sister? How've you got your hair fixed—what the hell stinks?