What Was Dee's Reason For Returning Home?.
Alice Walker's, Everyday Use (For Your Grandmama), was about a black mother and her two daughters named Dee and Maggie. Between the sisters, it seemed Dee was the selfish one, and as a result, received whatever she desired. Since she was more educated than her mother and sister, it may have given her a feeling of superiority. She seemed ashamed of where she had come from. A home should be a restful and congenial place. For Dee, home had a different meaning. She told her mother, ".no matter where they "choose" to live, she will manage to come see them. But she will never bring her friends"(272). One is led to believe that although Dee would never completely neglect her family by staying away, she was ashamed to have her friends see their living conditions. Surprisingly, when Dee came home for a visit, she had brought a male friend with her. While visiting, Dee asked to take some of her family's heirlooms and prized keepsakes back home with her. Her desire to have the heirlooms suggested that maybe Dee had learned about the value of old keepsakes and wanted them for herself. .
Upon Dee's arrival home, not only did she bring a friend along, she also took several pictures of her mother and sister in front of the house she had been ashamed to have her friends see. The family had lost the old house due to a fire before Dee left for school. Since she did not like the other house at all, her mother just knew that she would not like this one, either. It was surprising to have her continue snapping pictures that included the house. "When a cow comes nibbling around the edge of the yard she snaps it and me and Maggie and the house"(273). It seemed very important to include the house in the pictures. What was the significance of the house? Was she taking the pictures to remember her family or had she discovered that there was value in the setting.