Written by Alice Walker in 1973, this short story, “Everyday Use” (pdf) follows the difference between Mrs. Johnson and her shy younger daughter Maggie, who both still adhere to traditional black culture in the rural South, and her educated, successful daughter Dee, or “Wangero” as she prefers to be called, who takes a different route to reclaim her cultural identity.
Mrs. Johnson and Maggie believe that their cultural heritage can be preserved by living it. (i.e., quilts should be used and will someday become rags, but that’s ok because we know how to make more.) The successful older daughter Dee, takes a different approach.
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Download Everyday Use PDF HERE
