Character Traits and Making Inferences

"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

"She thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that "no" is a word the world never learned to say to her."

What word could you use to describe one of Maggie's character traits revealed in this sentence?

• There are many words you can use to describe Maggie's character traits. Envy and awe is an example. Because of her burnt scars, she envies her sister's beautiful skin, her hair, and her nice figure. She is also awed by her sister's own personal style. Another two words are shy and timid. Due to the fact that she envies her sister, she is shy and timid, and also afraid that she will be compared to her "perfect" sister. Therefore, she is ashamed of herself, and believes that she is homely compared to her sister.

Based on this passage, what can you infer about the narrator's relationship with Dee?

• From the passage, we can infer that Mama and Dee does not have a really good relationship. Mama, however, wants to be able to have a good relationship with her daughter, and to be the kind of mother that her daughter wants. She wishes that one day she and Dee will be able to love each other a lot and be able to appreciate each other. She also wishes that Dee is able to appreciate her good old Mama who brought her up and even saved enough money with the church to send her to school for an education.