Thursday, November 15, 2007
everyday use
This story has helped me understand a little more about my family and our issues. I would have to say, my parents were raised differently than i was and also, our culture and lifestyle. In this story, the only part where i can connect is the fact that each of us have chosen a different direction in our lives that have made things awkward during the holidays as we bring in guest with different traditions and different reactions to what my parents eat and what not. It doesn't conflict, but i have seen envying eyes among my fellow family members towards others, which they keep hidden and suppressed for another day.
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When anlyzing the story for your journal, consider some of the following issues (copied from my comments on Albert's blog):
If you look closely, the mother's relationship with Dee is quite conflicted, and she is actually much closer to Maggie, in character. Consider the dreams she has involving Dee, and also the final scene (Maggie and the mother on the porch as Dee leaves). Also, connsider the contrast between Dee and Maggie as characters. This should lead to a discussion of one of the important themes of the story, heritage. But, again, this concept is ambiguous in the story. Through the interactions among the three main characters, Walker explores the complex and perhaps contradictory noitions of "heritage." There are, at any rate, at least two perspectives on heritage that the story presents. One represented best by Dee, and the other be Maggie and her mother.
Consider especially scenes--the dialogue and character interaction--involing the butter churn and the quilt. Also consider the symbolic value of these itmes, as they relate to concepts of heritage. Consider also the story's title.
See also my comments on other blogs, as well as your own comment on another student's blog.
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