Does changing ones" name determine or alter ones" character? Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" is a remarkable short story that depicts the daily struggles parents face when raising children. Walker does a great job developing the personalities of the three female African American family members. By using Mama as the first person narrator, mama easily describes the family interaction and relationships. For instance, Mama's account of Maggie's frightful youth experience or Dee's discontentment with her home life. Increased tension in "Everyday Use" between Dee/Wangero and her family lead the reader to conclude that the appreciation of ones" heritage should be experiential, not theoretical. .
Walker introduces the reader to an immaculate yard cleaned by Mama and Maggie, Dee's sister, in preparation for her visit, displaying just how appreciative Mama and Maggie are for Dee. The setting is not only clean but also calm, a characteristic that only seems to exist during Dee's absence. Prior to Dee's arrival, Mama briefly expresses her sentiments about being closer to her daughter, Dee, yet accepts the reality that their lives are separated by an insurmountable chasm. "Sometimes I dream a dream in which Dee and I are suddenly brought together on a TV program Dee is embracing me with tears"(Walker 65). Inferiority also seems to play a role in separating Mama and Maggie from Dee. During Mama's brief sentiments, she expressed a disappointment in that she was uneducated "ignorant" unlike Dee. .
Although Dee is not a wicked individual, with the intention of spiting her family, she does antagonize both her mother and sister. Immediately after Mama's short account of her and her daughters" attitudes and youthful experiences, Dee arrives. Maggie's response to Dee's arrival appears to initiate the story's rising action and causes Maggie to run away while Mama appears to be preparing for a bumpy visitation.