Two Girls, One Spirit, Book Review Example

The short story, “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, is a tale of survival and strength among a poor black family living in the rural south.  The story opens in the front yard of the family’s house as Mama Johnson and her daughter Maggie await the arrival of Dee, the sister who escaped to the city years ago. The setting is the simple family farmhouse, rebuilt after the last one had burned to the ground.  The women await Dee in the yard “that is more like an extended living room.” (page number) The characters of Dee and Maggie appear to be radically different.  Maggie is a shy country girl where as Dee is the sister who “has held life in the palm of her hand” (page number).  However, there is more similarity between these sisters than even they would want to admit.  Maggie and Dee are similar in that they have been raised in the rural south, they both have considerable pride in their family heritage and ancestry, and they have strong spirits that have led them to become strong black women despite the hardships life has brought them.

The girls grew up on the same rural farm.  They were raised by their mama, a hard working, simple woman.  Although Mama was an uneducated in the formal sense, she possesses an incredible amount of applicable knowledge on farming, farm life, and life in general.  Maggie and Dee both learned how to read, although Dee went away to school when “we raised the money, the church and me, to send her to Augusta to school.” (page number)  Both girls were witness to a traumatizing experience as young girls, when the family home burned to the ground. Maggie was severely burned by the fire, and she has been shy and timid, “chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire burned the other house to the ground.” (page number) However, Maggie is a survivor, as is Dee.  Their common ancestry has given them an inner strength to endure the hardships that life has brought.  Being raised in the south around strong minded family members, who are all survivors in their own right, has given the girls much strength and pride.  The heirloom quilts, which were made by the girl´s grandma out of scraps of old family clothes, represent a link to their ancestors, of whom they both have great respect.

When Dee arrives at the family farm, it is expected by Mama that she will be disdainful of their house, and embarrassed by their meager living condition.  She is surprised, then, when Dee arrives with a friend, Hakim-a-barber.  Dee is ecstatic to see the family, taking pictures her mama and sisters.  After dinner, she begins to ask mama for certain items in the house, in particular some hand sewn family quilts.  It is obvious that Dee wants to prove how proud she is of her family heritage.  Maggie shows how proud she is of the family heritage by knowing the history behind each piece.  When Hakim asks Dee who the whittler of the dasher was, it is Maggie who replies, “Aunt Dee`s first husband whittled the dash. His name was Henry, but they called him Stash.”   (page number) Dee´s pride in her heritage is shown through her appreciation of antique items and Maggie´s pride in her family heritage is shown by the traditional way in which she lives her simple life.  She keeps the family´s history in her heart and in her mind.  Dee´s pride in her family heritage is shown through her admiration of family heirlooms by wanting to put them up for display on walls and on tables.  Dee´s view of her heritage is summed up nicely in her statement, “I can use the chute top as a centerpiece for the alcove table and I´ll think of something artistic to do with the dasher.” (page number).

Both girls demonstrate a strong will to survive.  Dee´s strength is apparent from her willful nature.   Mama says that “Dee would always look anyone in the eye.  Hesitation was no part of her nature.” (page number).  “She was determined to stare down any disaster in her efforts.” (page number)  Maggie has a spirit just as strong.  She has lived in the shadow of her overpowering older sister and lived through the trauma of almost being burned alive in her home, escaping with a body full of “burn scars down her arms and legs”. (page number)  Her strength is her inner will to survive and her loving nature that has survived despite the hardships she has suffered.   When Dee wants to take the heirloom quilts that Mama was saving for Maggie, Maggie says that Dee can have them, and that she can remember Grandma Dee without the quilts.  By saying she would give up the quilts, she is showing her inner strength.  Even though she truly desires the quilts, which are a part of her heritage and ancestry for which she has enormous pride, she wants to make Dee happy. Mama intervenes on this point, however, and Dee´s strong will does not get her the quilts on that day.

The story of “Everyday Use” is the story of strong black women, struggling to survive in a world that has at times not been kind to them.  Dee and Maggie share many traits.  Being raised in the rural south provided the girls with the knowledge of hard work and dedication.  Surviving their house showed the girls’ ability to survive in the face adversity.  Their fierce pride in their heritage came from Mama, who raised her girls to be strong.  Mama’s pride in their family, in their ancestors, was passed down to her daughters.  At the end of the day, these are just three strong black women who are just trying to find a way to survive in their world.