Dee's Character in Everyday Use

Dee's character in Everyday Use by Walker is the antithesis to simplicity. Her seeming defiance to tradition makes Mother more appreciative of African-American culture.

In the story, Dee is the prodigal daughter who does not receive the welcome she anticipates as opposed to the biblical story ‘prodigal son’. The explanation for this is simple, Mama does not approve of Dee's egotism. At the same time, Maggie feels some conflict with her sister particularly in the way they view things.

Preference for Appearances

The outside world influences Dee. It changes her as she prefers other culture over hers. Dee changes her name to Wangero in the story. She does not give much importance to her name or the fact that she was named after her Aunt Dicie. When asked what happened to her name, she simply replied, “She’s dead.”

In the process, Dee was actually putting a mental and emotional distance from her family, at the same time, her culture and heritage. Her new name and manner of talking and dressing reflect all that. Dee's contradictions put her in danger of being branded a traitor or shunned by her kind due to her lack of loyalty to her culture and heritage.

Dee hates their house. Mother and Maggie do not mind the appearance of their house because it puts a roof over their heads and serves a purpose. The house is representative of the plain sometimes unpleasant part of the family’s culture and heritage which include being uneducated, poor and descendants of slaves.

It is not exactly the house that Dee hates but what it represents. The house reminds her of poverty and hardship, the very things she despises in her life. Despite Dee’s reluctance to accept her lot as represented by her repugnance of the house, she is, however, very interested in the objects found inside their house such as the dasher, churntop and quilts.

Her fascination from these things stems not from their history but because of their monetary value. They will fetch a handsome price if sold. She calls those things as “priceless”. Yet, she does not realize that what makes those things priceless is because they were hand-made and handed down from generation to generation.

Contrasts and Comparisons with Maggie and Mother

Mother and Maggie do not want to change. They want to preserve the pure African-American culture heritage steeped in their blood the way they try to save grandmother’s quilt. Maggie sees the quilts as symbols of the black culture. And for good reason. In these quilts were bits and pieces of Grandma Dee’s dresses worn fifty and more years ago.

It also has the bits of Grandpa Jarrell's Paisley shirts. And one teeny faded blue piece . . . that was from Great Grandpa Ezra's uniform that he wore in the Civil War." (Walker 6) The quilts represents the history of the family.

Dee’s motivation is not based on noble intentions but for monetary gains. Perhaps, this is the very reason why Mother opted to give the quilt - a family heirloom- to Maggie. It is because Maggie appreciates the labor, history, heritage behind a very simple piece of quilt.

Dee, however, only sees the external and financial equivalent of things. Her mind could not fathom deeper than what is visible. In the end, Dee's oppressive voice is muted, for Mama has narrated her out of the story altogether.