In the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker the family quilt is used as a symbol of the values that each family member holds dear. To Maggie the quilt is just another thing she has to give up. To Dee the quilt is a symbol of rising above her poor past. To their mother the quilt is symbolic of the roots of her family. The oldest daughter, Dee values her friend's approval. While she …showed first 75 words of 760 total…

…showed last 75 words of 760 total…shy and lacking in self-confidence. Dee's college education and the time she has spent away from the house has made her see her upbringing as something to rise above and the mother sometimes dreams of a better life than what she has but her family roots have kept her grounded and humble. Walker, Alice. "Everyday Use." Literature; An Introduction To Reading And Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. New Jersey: Prentice Hall