Vocabulary
the main problem(s) in a story
What is conflict?
the author of Everyday Use
Who is Alice Walker?
point of view from which the story written (character and narrative POV)
What is first person and mama.
Dee changes her name to this.
What is Wangero?
a physical posture of shame or feelings of inadequacy
What is a hangdog expression?
a character with many personality traits
What is a round character
genre of Everyday Use
What is a short story?
the climax and resolution of the story
When is Mama standing up for Maggie and giving her the quilts?
two conflicts in the story
What are sibling rivalry, ownership of the quilts, intergenerational tension, or the effects of differing levels of education within families?
the solution, in whole or part, to the conflict in a story
What is resolution?
time period and location of the setting
What are the 1970s in the rural south?
significance of the quilts in the story
What is the significance of the quilts in the story represents African American culture and heritage?
what Dee wants to do with the quilts and what Maggie wants to do with the quilts
What is Dee wants to use them for decoration while Maggie wants to use them for everyday use?
the meaning(s) created by the events and characters in a story
What is theme?
Walker's own life most closely parallels this character.
Who is Dee/Wangero?
meaning of the simile that Dee/Wangero would prefer Ma to have "skin like an uncooked barley pancake"
What is Dee/Wangero would like Ma to be lighter skinned?
Dee/Wangero fails to see this in her attempt to connect with her heritage.
What is the value of the very people in her family that make up a vital part of that heritage?
the way Ma's character is juxtaposed with Dee/Wangero to create a theme
What are these (more options possible):
-Ma is unconcerned with fashion while Dee is fashionable showing Dee's superficiality and flawed concept of heritage.
-Ma perceives herself as slow-witted compared with Dee but she understands their heritage better in many ways.
reason Walker turned to reading at age 8
What is she was scarred and left blinded in one eye due to an accident? She turned to reading for comfort.
animal the narrator uses to describe Maggie and its significance
What is Maggie is compared to a docile and frightened animal. She is also compared to a dog several times one that has a dopey look and one that has been hit by a car?
One event in the plot that shows the artificial nature of Dee/Wangero's understanding of heritage.
What are any of these:
-adopting Arabic greetings and names
-changing her name from "Dee" to "Wangero"
-wanting to disassemble the butter churn for decor
-reprimanding Ma and Maggie for wanting to use the quilts.