Dee Vs. Maggie
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Dee vs. Maggie
In our society it is easy to infer that two young ladies raised by the same woman in the same household would be somewhat compatible in relation to their views and qualities. Alice Walker shows in her story “Everyday Use” that this is not always the case. Mrs. Johnson, the mother and narrator, tells of the similarities and differences between her daughters throughout the story. Maggie and Dee have little in common, yet have multiple differences including their physical appearance, personality, and views on items reflecting heritage.
Mrs. Johnson clearly describes Dee as the more attractive sibling with “nicer hair and a fuller figure” (6). Mrs. Johnson claims that, “At sixteen [Dee] had a style of her own; and knew what style was” (7), and Dee took pride in herself for this. She loved to dress loudly and fashionably wearing bright colors with accessories to match. When Dee and her friend, Asalamalakim, first arrive, Mrs. Johnson cannot see clearly as the sun is in her eyes but is able to distinguish Dee by making another reference to her well-kept daughter by her feet; “But even the first glimpse of leg out of the car tells me it is Dee. Her feet were always neat-looking, as if God himself had shaped them with a certain style” (8). The reference to God shaping Dees feet with certain style is interesting, as though Mrs. Johnson sees Dee as superior due to her style and well maintained features. When it comes to physical appearance Maggie is not as blessed as Dee. The family experienced a fire in their younger years, which Dee escaped but left Maggie with horrible burn scars down her arms and legs. Even Mrs. Johnson believes “good looks passed her by” (7). Maggie is darker in complexion than Dee and has a “thin body” (6), dressing herself with a lack of fashion sense her sister has.
Besides their different appearances, Maggie and Dee have strikingly different personalities. Just as Dees appearance is loud, the same applies for her personality. Her mother describes her as “determined to stare down any disaster in her efforts” (7). Dee is well educated, after attending college in Augusta. She is ambitious and thrives in making something of herself while knowing her sister lacks the ambition Dee says sarcastically when leaving: “You ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie. Its really a new day for us” (13). Dee carries herself as though she is superior, always expecting things to play out in her favor. Mrs. Johnson notes Maggie believes her sister has “held life always in the palm of one hand, that “no” is a word the world never learned to say to her” (5). Dee demands, without asking, for items at her mothers house almost as though she knows Mrs. Johnson will not tell her “no”.
Unlike her sister, Maggie carries herself with caution. She lacks ambition to seek a different life and is very content in the lifestyle Mrs. Johnson has brought the two girls up in. Maggie does not have a college education like her sister but is educated enough to be able to read to her mother