Read With A Purpose

The story "Everyday Use" focuses on the idea of family heritage. What is the conflict between the two visions of that heritage? Why does Dee accuse Mama of not understanding her heritage?

• Mama and Maggie differ from Dee because they live within, and with their heritage. For example, they are still a farming family living in a farmhouse, and they still use things that were passed down from previous generations (from people such as Grandma Dee, Big Dee, and Stash). They still sit on the benches from their old burned house, and also the churn and, most important of all, the quilts. The quilts are not used, but Mama was already planning to give Maggie the quilts, who will surely use them. Dee, on the other hand, has abandoned her heritage and become urbanized as she recieved eduction in the city. She now only view heritage as something to be displayed, as something to be proud of - her origin. But she never turned back and started to live her heritage again; she's still a city girl. 
• Dee accuses Mama of not understanding her heritage because she has a completely different point of view on the term "heritage" compared to Mama and Maggie after she was urbanized.