Characterization in Everyday Uses, Essay Example

Characterization in literature is procedure through which the author reveals the personality of a given character. In her book Everyday Uses, Alice walker employs elements of characterization to investigate African American culture, its expressions and proper values. The short story focuses on the Johnson family, their lives and encounters. The author depicts two different ideologies within the African-American culture through the interaction between Dee, her male companion, sister (Maggie) and mother.

Mrs. Johnson (Mama)

The author begins the story by providing a depiction of Mrs. Johnson, the narrator and mother to Dee and Maggie. Mrs. Johnson is depicted as sentimental individual through her description of the yard. She depicts a clear attachment to her home, and even perceives the yard as an extension of the living room. Mrs. Johnson provides a very vivid description of the yard, as she waits for Dee in yard that she and Maggie’s had created “so clean and wavy” (Walker and Christian 88). Her use of the word “so” emphasizes her perceptions of the yard, revealing her sentimental attachment to her home.

Maggie

From the onset of the story, Maggie is characterized as shy and unattractive. Owing to the scars that she bears on parts of her body, she has resigned herself with the fact that her looks would get in her way of obtaining happiness. Her shy nature stems from her fear of peoples’ perceptions of her physical appearance. Mrs. Johnson acknowledged this fact in her statement” as like good looks and money, quickness passed her by” (Walker and Christian 73). Maggie depicts a great sense of respect for her culture through her learning of quilting from her grandmother. In this key, she respects the wishes of her ancestors by upholding the image and role of the woman within the family and/or homestead.

Dee

From the beginning of the book, we are introduced to an abrasive Dee Johnson, brimming with confidence and largely assertive. Her personality is the epitome of the black woman during a time of unrest within the country due to racial varying racial ideologies. Her personality embodies the black woman practicing mobility. She is depicted as the opposite of Maggie. The author characterizes Dee based on her beauty, education and ambition. Her education is a key element of developing her character. Her mother collects money from their local church to see to Dee’s education. However, her education appears to have placed distance between her and her family. Owing to this she is depicted to have deserted her culture and traditions and adopted a new culture. This is evident when Mrs. Johnson says, “She used to read to us without pity; forcing words, lies, other folks’ habits, whole lives upon us two, sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice” (Walker and Christian 73).

Dee comes to reject her given English name, by virtue of it belonging from the people that “oppressed her”. She changes her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. By doing this, she is openly and publicly denouncing the identity that society had predetermined for her. As most blacks had their names originate from their slave masters, she looks to break the link of oppression by curving out her own place within society, not as an African-American, but as an African. Dee decides to create her own place in the social strata by embracing her African heritage. Her decision to maintain an afro-hairstyle as opposed to straightening her hair defies the common held perception of beauty that is associated with straight hair. By denouncing her given identity, she defies her African-American culture owing to it oppressive nature, in exchange for a more robust and defiant African identity.

In conclusion, the author effectively employs characterization to take the reader in a journey that discovers the nature and true being of the characters. The author employs this technique to make available different personalities, providing for a rich story with well-developed characters. This is integral in helping the reader understand her purpose for writing this work.

Works Cited

Arp, Thomas R, Greg Johnson and Laurence Perrine. Perrine’s literature : structure, sound, and sense. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2015. Print.

Card, Orson S. Elements of Fiction Writing – Characters & Viewpoint : Proven advice and timeless techniques for creating compelling characters by an award-winning author. Cincinnati: F+W Media, 2010. Print.

Walker, Alice and Barbara Christian. Everyday use. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1994. Print.