Today I read the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker. One theme which was prevalent throughout the story was contradiction. Contradiction was displayed through the characters of Dee, Maggie, and the narrator. As is learned early on in the story, the family comes from a poor, rural neighborhood. The older sister, Dee, is "both envied and awed" by her younger sister, Maggie (43). Dee is the first in her family to leave this neighborhood and get an education. She is described as being, essentially, perfect. When Dee comes to visit, she faces contradiction within herself. A part of her is rooted in this small town, yet another part of her has a yearning to escape and become cultured. The narrator is also contradicted. She feels torn between her two very different daughters. She has Dee, the august, erudite, and confident child, and Maggie, the shy, awkward, and bereft child. Contrary to what one may think by looking in on the outside, the narrator feels a stronger connection to Maggie, probably because she has more in common with her than with Dee. At the end, when Dee wants the family heirloom quilts to hang on her wall, the narrator confronts her internal contradictions and gives the quilts to Maggie.
The last character with contradictions is Maggie. I think she has lived her life as second priority, always in the shadow of Dee's spotlight. As a child, she probably had to struggle with her sister to get attention. At this point, she is constantly reminded of her foibles every time she looks down at her scarred arm, shattering her confidence beyond repair. However, when her mother gives her the quilts instead of Dee, she felt the unfamiliar feeling of self-worth. She felt contradicted over whether or not to feel happy for her mother standing up for her or to feel guilty and to give the quilts back to her sister.
