Adolescence

Many times during adolescence, young adults will falter in their journey to self discovery. In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," the character Dee faces similar self-dilemmas. Walter uses the theme, the journey to self discovery is often a difficult one, to relate her writing to a younger audience.
In the beginning of the story it is apparent that Dee has al of the unspoken advantages of being the oldest. Maggie, the younger child, was unfortunately burned in the fire of their first house. Maggie was "...homely and ashamed of the burn scars on her arms and legs..." (324). Because Maggie is the youngest, she looks up to her sister, but because of her injuries she feels inferior to her.
Since her youth it was obvious that dee had a strong desire to have nice things. Even with humble beginnings she grew up to expect only the best. As a child her mother and the church raised the money to send her to the Augusta school. She showred with her newfound knowledge, unaware that she was fo...