She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1965, and taught in various schools including Yale, and Wellesley. In addition to publishing fiction, poetry, and biography that rewarded her with a Guggenheim fellowship in 1977, she received a wall book award nomination. She has published multiple books including "The Color Purple," which was made into a movie that won the academy award for 1985. Her main hobby is gardening (Roberts and Jacobs 85). The short story "Everyday Use" was first published in 1973. "Everyday Use" begins with women waiting: Mama Johnson and her daughter Maggie, waiting at home, in the deep rural South, a place they had never left, for a visit from Dee, the daughter who had not waited, the daughter who could not wait to leave home. The story has numerous technicalities employed in enhancing the reader's understanding. The story continues to tell us about this young woman whose attempts, unsuccessfully to switch some fine old quilts, earmarked for the dowry of a sister into her own hands. This character has her given name, "Dee Johnson," changed to her new name "Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo". In addition to the author's various aspects of the story, Walker uses themes and characterization to enhance her short story "Everyday Use".
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The author uses themes in her short story "Every day Use". Walker reveals the theme of cultural heritage vs. popular fashion. The story shows young peoples" desire for fashion more than their heritage. One of the two daughters, Dee shows her interest in the families possession (the quilts) not for the cultural use but to display in her own home. "Maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they"d be in rags" (Roberts and Jacobs 91). She thinks that instead of letting her sister (Maggie) keep the quilt for her everyday use, she will rather keep the quilt. The author reveals to her readers clearly on how young people pay more attention to fashion.