Everyday Use
...grandmother and aunt have made, for she now sees these precious items as fashionable objects. "Dee wanted nice things. At sixteen she had a style of her own and knew what style was." She has a selfish mind of her own. On the other hand Mama has her own mentality; she learned about life by working hard. "I was always better at a man's job. I used to love to milk till I was hoofed in the side in 49." Mama is quite use to labor and she can relate to the arduous work that is involved in putting a quilt together. This becomes a bound in Mama's decision as she gives the quilts to the one who will overall appreciate them. Dee is clearly distancing herself from her mother and sister. She goes so far as to change her name from Dee to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo, saying, "I couldn't bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me." Yet, she wants the quilts that are made by the very people that she despises. Mama being less educated than the children but can sense Dee's ulterior motive and superficial motivation to have the quilts. "For her, heritage is something to be displayed on the coffee table and on the wall." Dee disrespects her mother's authority and free will. Dee is already claiming the quilts to herself, even though Mama has never said "yes" that she could have them. Dee challenges Mama's authority by grasping the quilts and moving back as her mother tries to touch them. By doing this, she also disregards Mama's free will to give the quilts to whomever she would like. Mama observes that if Dee cannot preserve the unity of the family by honoring her mother, then how she will be able to appreciate the quilts in a respectable way. Dee practically throws out reasons for Maggie to not have the quilt as part of her cunning scheme. As Dee is visiting, she comments to Mama regarding the quilts, "Maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they'd be in rags." Dee goes to the extra lenght to say, "Maggie can't appreciate these quilts." Mama anticipates Dee's scheme to twist the truth, because she is aware that Maggie knows what it takes to produce a quilt. "It was Grandma Dee and Big Dee who taught her how to quilt herself." Of course, Maggie can appreciate the quilts much more than Dee can. Naturally, Mama will give the quilts to the one who can appreciate them most because she has been cherishing them. "God knows I've been saving'em for long enough...