Everyday Use

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Most brides have these things when they are getting married. The item that is old comes from within the family that is being passed down. When a daughter is getting married she is leaving the family and starting her own with her own identity. In "Everyday Use", by Alice Walker, Dee and Maggie search for their identity while slowly starting their own family.

Dee is the eldest of the two and left to search for her own identity. Her search led her to the middle of the Black Panther Revolution where she became Muslim and adopted their ways. Many people decide to leave their families and even their city or state in order to find their true self. It may take from a few months to a few years. In Dee's case it took her a few years to return to her sister and mother a changed person. When she returned, she greeted both of them in a foreign language that neither of them ever heard. Her change was subtle because she came to only ask for things in order to take to her new location. She immediately removed herself from her family by taking pictures of Mama and Maggie in front of the house. She is trying to distance herself from her past, but tries to get Mama and Maggie to understand their roots. But by telling Maggie she does not understand where she is coming from is wrong.

Maggie has an excellent idea of where she has come from. She knows about her family history and is aware of her identity. Maggie is very family oriented and knows about the history. She gets upset when Mama considers Dee to get the quilt but accepts the idea because she is has the knowledge of how to make a quilt. Maggie's identity came from growing up around her family. She has knowledge on how to use and work with her hands. She has been raised to be a housewife and to stay and clean the house. Some girls today still do this today. They are around their mothers and other women and their