Everyday Use (For your grandmama) - Alice Walker

What Was Dee’s Reason For Returning Home?

Alice Walker’s, Everyday Use (For Your Grandmama), was about a black mother and her two daughters named Dee and Maggie. Between the sisters, it seemed Dee was the selfish one, and as a result, received whatever she desired. Since she was more educated than her mother and sister, it may have given her a feeling of superiority. She seemed ashamed of where she had come from. A home should be a restful and congenial place. For Dee, home had a different meaning. She told her mother, “....no matter where they ‘choose’ to live, she will manage to come see them. But she will never bring her friends”(272). One is led to believe that although Dee would never completely neglect her family by staying away, she was ashamed to have her friends see their living conditions. Surprisingly, when Dee came home for a visit, she had brought a male friend with her. While visiting, Dee asked to take some of her family’s heirlooms and pr...