https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everyday_Use
Those of you who have read the story know that in the end, Mama allows Maggie, the younger sister, to have the family quilt which has been kept for several generations. Dee, the older sister, is appalled by her mother's decision, stating that the quilt is not meant for "everyday use." There is no indication of what happens in the future for this family beyond the fact that Maggie genuinely smiles for the first time since her injury in the fire. I thought it would be interesting to consider the lasting effects on the family if Dee had in fact received the quilt. My alternate ending is consistent with the style of Mama as the narrator.
It has been but a few years since Dee has last seen us. She left in such a hurry that to this day, I had a feeling she had done something wrong. She very excitedly kissed us goodbye the next morning (I urged her and Hakim.a.barber to stay a night so that they could be well-rested for the drive home) and sped off, the dust flying behind them. I thought I heard a rustling in the night, but I thought nothing of it then. It wasn't until after they left that I realized Dee had stolen the quilt! I told her that I had promised to give Maggie the quilt, and I knew she was not pleased at this. I never would've guessed that my own child would stoop so low to steal the thing. Dee always has to have things her way. I refuse to call her Wangero when she's not around, because it just doesn't feel natural.
Maggie took it in a personal way. A few weeks after the incident, she shuffled up to me and asked, "Why did Dee want it when she knew it was mine? Doesn't she love me?" I didn't know how to answer. She looked so downtrodden, that I didn't know what to say. Soon, we will be planning her wedding. She doesn't speak of it with excitement anymore. I watch her make other quilts and such things. She doesn't look at any of her blankets with the same light that she looked at the one that Dee took. I pray that Dee one day realizes that she has stolen her sister's only chance at a victory.
As for Dee, we haven't seen her since her last visit. She has taken the time to write, but the letters are filled with words that I don't always understand. She lets on that she is doing well, but she doesn't ask much about her sister. She does a lot of bragging. She is at the top of her class, she will be studying in Africa soon, she and Hakim.a.barber have split, but that's okay because she has plenty of "attainable suitors" to choose from.
Sometimes I still think about being brought together with Dee on one of those television shows, but I don't think of it highly anymore. I think of seeing Dee, in all of her African glory, and my heart sinks. When did she become so selfish? When did she become so unattached? Now I dream of meeting her and telling her how much she had wounded her sister. Sure, Maggie will turn out alright, because she's got her head screwed on straight. Still, I wonder how much happier she'd have been if she was given that small ounce of respect from her sister.
On the lighter side, Maggie and I have gotten closer, and I am glad for that.
She understands life better than anyone else I know.
http://digitalsafari.pbworks.com/w/page/70525719/Week%2011%20Everyday%20Use%20by%20Alice%20Walker
My interpretation transforms Dee into more of a villain than the author may have intended, and in the end, Mama and Maggie are better off without her. My question today is what is your take on the story? How should one's heritage be expressed, and is there really one proper way to do so? And, just for fun, which character are you the most like?
Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone enjoys their summer!
