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Maria Johnston
Professor Cuyler
English 1302
8 March 2016
“Everyday Use” Character Analysis
The protagonist in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker appears to be the mother of two
completely opposite daughters. The mother has had a rough life due to many obstacles she has
overcome. She has lost her home, and almost lost her daughter, Maggie. Maggie is now a burn
victim and has lost all hope and confidence in herself. Her other daughter, Dee, thinks she is too
good for her run down home and has the most confidence out of anyone in the household. This
makes the mother envious and jealous of her daughter’s successes in life. Despite her hardships,
the mother is determined, strong willed, and strong. The point of view in the story is a first-
person narrative of the mother. It helps to establish the plot and characters and adds tone to the
story. The analysis of the mother character shows how hard it is to choice a favorite child in such
a small family.
The mother character is an antihero because she struggles with many human flaws. Her
biggest flaw is that she is not well educated. Her school was closed down “after the second
grade.” (Walker 554). This dilemma makes it hard for her to understand Dee’s wishes and
demands to change her lifestyle to reflect her heritage. The mother character also plays a more
masculine role. She lost her husband and has raised the two girls on her own for years. She has
“rough, man-working hands’ that can “kill and clean a hog” and “work outside all day”. Because
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she is manly and masculine, she cannot connect to Dee’s girlish ways but rather prefers Maggie’s
hard-working personality. Maggie and the mother connect in this way because they both are not
confident in themselves. Due to her flaws she is very hesitant towards authority figures and does
not stand up for what she believes is right very often. This has allowed Dee to push her around
and get what she wants. These flaws challenge her daily and make her wish both the girls would
leave, so she wouldn’t have to think as much and could “sing church songs” to herself in the
shaded yard (Walker, 554).
Her flaws make it hard for her to decide on which daughter should receive the family
heirloom, two beautiful quilts made by their grandmother. The mother tends to lean toward Dee
because she likes the way Dee carries herself and holds herself to high standards. She likes the
