The Importance of Heritage in “everyday Use”Essay Preview: The Importance of Heritage in “everyday Use”Report this essayThe Importance of Heritage in Everyday Use In Alice Walkers Everyday Use, the message about the preservation of heritage, specifically African-American heritage, is very clear. It is obvious that Walker believes that a persons heritage should be a living, dynamic part of the culture from which it arose and not a frozen timepiece only to be observed from a distance. There are two main approaches to heritage preservation depicted by the characters in this story. The narrator, a middle-aged African-American woman, and her youngest daughter Maggie, are in agreement with Walker. To them, their family heritage is everything around them that is involved in their everyday lives and everything that was involved in the lives of their ancestors. To Dee, the narrators oldest daughter, heritage is the past – something to frame or hang on the wall, a mere artistic, aesthetic reminder of her family history. Walker depicts Dees view of family heritage as being one of confusion and lack of understanding.
The differences in attitude that Dee and Maggie portray about their heritage are seen early in the story. When the familys house burned down ten or twelve years ago, Maggie was deeply affected by the tragedy of losing her home where she grew up. As her mother describes, “She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire that burned the other house to the ground” (Walker 105). Dee, on the other hand, had hated the house. Her mother had wanted to ask her, “Why dont you dance around the ashes?” (Walker 105). Dee did not hold any significance in the home where she had grown up. In her confusion about her heritage, it was just a house to her.
Another example of Dees confusion about her own African-American heritage is expressed when she announces to her mother and sister that she has changed her name to “Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo.” When her mother questions her about the change, Dee says, “I couldnt bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me” (Walker 107). According to her mother, the name has been in the family since before the Civil War and most likely represents family unity to her. However, Dee does not realize that. Apparently, she believes that by changing her name she is expressing solidarity with her African ancestors and rejecting the oppression implied by the taking on of American names by black slaves.
Commenting on the way Dee is acting when they sit down to eat, her mother says, “Everything delighted her. Even the fact that we still used the benches her daddy made for the table when we couldnt afford to buy chairs” (Walker 108). Dee seems to be so interested in all of the little household items that her family still uses. When she sees the top to the butter churn that her Uncle whittled out of a tree, she wants to keep it and use it a centerpiece for her alcove table. Also, Dee says, “Ill think of something artistic to do with the dasher” (Walker 108). These items are a part of life for Maggie and her mother, but to Dee they are merely pieces for decoration.
(3) “Troll” on the same table.
A parody of the song “Troll” written for a song by R. Kelly that is playing on the same piano of an older house on the first floor.
A parody of a parody of “The Ringer” by John Waters on the second floor. This is one song on top of a other one. It has a different phrasing. The first line is ‘No-Bass’. It is written of an old white house that has just recently taken a turn as far out to sea and a large ship. It is a pretty good thing for a song about a man who works for a band.
(4) “I love your life so much that I don’t think I can take any more.”
(6) “Hear and experience the story of a man whose death was not a stroke, but a man who lost the whole man as he was dragged along, all the while drinking and smoking some cigarettes.”
(8) “Now I say to you, it was a mistake but it is your life that may inspire a man to change.”
(10) “You were great in your field, but you died and I took it away. Then the men found your life and took away the men.”