Family Dynamic In Everyday Use

Mama, Dee, and Maggie, are a complicated, close, yet distant family. Walker first introduces us to Mama, who explains a dream where Dee pins an orchard onto her dress, even though Dee thinks orchards are tacky. Then Maggie, a girl who walks like a lame animal, enters the story. I automatically think this family has a lot of  complicated emotions. Mama and her two children clearly have a past together, and we learn as their home burned down Mama dragged Maggie out of the fire and Dee simply watched, possibly very contently. It is their past and their different personalities that distinguish these characters from one another, yet they are still family. 

Mama clearly has a sense of respect for Dee, as she describes Dee as being more physically attractive and more confident than her younger sister. However, the respect is not mutual. We are first introduced to Dee's personality as Mama explains how Dee would read to them, and as they were about to understand what she was reading, she would shove them away. Though Dee wants them to become more "sophisticated" like herself, she purposefully leaves them in the dust. With the churches help mama raised money for Dee to go off to school, and Dee uses this education to hold herself above her family. Dee's mother did the best she could so Dee could have what she never came close to having, a good education. Dee clearly does not show her appreciation, even though she was the only sibling who was given this gift. Maggie shows signs of intimidation, and dislike toward her older sister as she tries to run away as her sister arrives. The description Walker uses to describe Maggie, and how she cowers behind her mothers chair, makes Maggie seem somewhat pathetic. The fire may have created the tension and dislike present in the family. What kind of child could calmly watch her sister being dragged out of a fire, as the place where she spent her childhood crumbles to the ground? In class we also discussed the possibility that Dee herself started the fire; this would be pure evil, and show she has no regard whatsoever for her family. Dee looks down on Maggie, as she explains she is to dumb to know what to know with her mother's quilts. This is where the book turns, and Mama rips the quilts from Dee's hands as they are were already promised to Maggie. This is significant because in the beginning of the story we learn of Mama's respect for Dee, and her go-getter attitude, yet here she dismisses her for Maggie, the cowardly daughter. Maggie is in shock as her mama hugs her and gives her the blankets; this action of putting Maggie in front of Dee is clearly a first. Maggie then gives what I picture to be a confident and in your face type of smile as Dee leaves. 

Therefore  Mama learns to appreciate Maggie, and to see Dee for whom she really is-an arrogant and unappreciative girl. In class we discussed the possibility that Dee could have good intentions, and she is just trying to appreciate her family's culture in an immature way. I disagree with this, and I see all her intentions as ones that would only benefit herself. Dee would do anything to boost her ego, and gain what she wants in life, even if she had to burn her childhood home, and permanently scar her family. 

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