Beginning of Essay
In the story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, Walker presents Mama, Dee and Maggie, the younger daughter, who is ashamed of herself yet proud of her heritage.  While Dee is ashamed of her heritage and proud of herself, Walker illustrates the mistake by some of pla ....

Middle of Essay
.... it.  While Maggie has always known the meaning, she values them for what they mean to her as an individual. This becomes clear when she says, "I can 'member Grandma Dee without the quilts," (698). This implies that her connection with the quilts is personal and emotional rather than materialistic. Dee has always been ashamed of her family; she told her mother that she would manage to come to see them but wouldn't bring her friends.  Just by saying that you can tell right off that she was ashamed to bring her friends over to the house.  She never valued anything; everything to her was old and worthless. Until she came to visit all of a sudden, she ....