Alice Walker - Everyday Use "Similar Heritage, Different Perceptions"

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Similar Heritage, Different Perceptions
Heritage is defined as something that has been passed or handed down by tradition. Objects, artifacts, stories and people help to form one’s heritage. It is the lens through which we view our life and our past. It shapes our values, perceptions and attitudes. People throughout society have different views on the importance of heritage. This is clearly evident in Alice Walker’s short story Everyday Use. Although all the characters in the story share a similar heritage, their perception of it differs.
The narrator of the story believes in a very traditional, simple life. She is proud of her heritage and regards it as a guideline for how to live her life. Although she knows that society as a whole is changing, she has little worry of changing with it, despite her daughter’s pleas. A loving mother, she wants to make her daughter proud, but knows no life but the one she has become accustom too. Throughout the story, the narrator...