Everyday Use
...he literary work but may have been used as an important political and cultural statement for the time. Dee’s name change to Wangero, which traditionally should have been spelled “Wanjiru”, may be a deliberate misspelling by Alice Walker to show how little those so heavily involved in the movement really cared about learning about African culture. Ms. Johnson is hurt that Dee changed her name-a name that was passed down in their family-to a name that was also apart of African heritage but had no feel significance to her own family. It is another example of Dee’s indifference to her family. The very feminine Dee is the complete opposite of her mannish mother and shy and scarred sister. She is very into fashion and adopts more urban ways of thinking. “Dee wanted nice things. […] She had a style of her own: and knew what style was” (Walker 87). She is embarrassed by her family’s very country life style. She has no respect or appreciation for deep-rooted traditions and heritage of her family. She finds her family’s ways old-fashioned and ignorant but Ms. Johnson is proud of her heritage and happy with her lifestyle. Dee is mean and hurtful to both her mother and sister her who want nothing more than her love and acceptance. Ms. Johnson hints at her disappointment in her relationship with Dee in the third and fourth paragraphs. “On TV mother and child embrace and smile into each others faces…the child…leans across the table to tell how she would not have made it without … help. […] Sometimes I dream Dee and I are suddenly brought together on a TV program of this sort” (Walker 86). Dee did have a few positive motives for her family. She says to her sister, “You ...