Analyze Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” and explain what you think the narrative is saying about the nature of relationships. What values does the story endorse and/or criticize. Remember to explain how

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Nature of Relationships
Everyday Use by Alice Walker describes the lives of three women, two sisters and their mother. The plot concentrates on a visit from Dee, one of the sisters, who brings a suitor home. The reactions of the other sister, Maggie, and the mother reveal the kind of relationships between siblings, their parent, and other people in general. The readers discover some characteristics about the nature of relationships. The first one being that they form as a source of satisfaction and acceptance. Culture affects the forms and strengths of relationships between different people. Stereotyping occurs almost instantly in the process of bonding. Lastly, romantic relationships arise as a result of cohesion in terms of the perspective on life and personal character. The story proves that culture can positively or negatively affect relationships in society.
Relationships develop as a source of emotional and physical satisfaction. Even though, the mother spends most of her time with Maggie, she also wishes that her other daughter would accept her as she is. She talks about a dream where a famous television presenter hosted her and Dee. Then, the daughter would embrace her with tears as a sign of affection (315). In fact, the mother hopes that one day Dee will see the world beyond wealth and appreciate the simple things in life. The dream continues with Dee giving her an Orchid even though the former thinks that those flowers are tacky. The story of orchid is a longing for the daughter to stop labeling everything and just appreciate the time spent with family.

The relationship between the sisters is filled with envy, joy, and fear at the same time. Maggie wanted Dee to have the quilts when she found them (Dee and the mother) arguing (320). Dee came back to say goodbye to her sister despite her anger over the quilts. Their general behavior towards each other is the evidence for a strong bond. Sisterhood fulfills their emotional needs whether they can admit it or not. The narrator (mother) talks about her relationship with God and how it nourishes her spirit. She says, “God touches me, and I get happy and shout” (321). Moreover, she got the physical strength to snatch the quilts from Dee and gave them to Maggie after thinking about God. Therefore, human beings form relationships with the hope of receiving satisfaction.
The types and strength of relationships depend on the culture of the community. A good example is a connection between Maggie and the mother. These two characters appear closer than any other from the Everyday Use. Maggie comes off as strong and conservative who respects the traditions of the family. She learned how to make quilts and care for the land from her mother. More so, the story begins with the two waiting for Dee in a yard which they cleaned as a duo. They enjoy basking in the sun surrounded by nature. The closeness of Maggie and her mother originates from the fact that the daughter is well-versed with the practices of the community. Their habits and preferences show a strong sign of cohesion as illustrated by their conversations. “How do I look, Mama?” (316) shows Maggie dressed in cloths and seeking the opinion of the mother. The mother denotes the nature of how Maggie walks and behaves in general. She has two daughters who are completely different in terms of looks and character. Maggie is closer to the mother because she maintains the same practical skills passed through generations.
On the other hand, failure to abide by the customs of the family or the society creates problems. The second daughter by the name of Dee shows a strong sense of alienation from her culture and family. The mother exhibits her sense of disapproval by mocking the man who accompanies Dee. He introduces himself with a foreign name, but she decides to call him, “Asalamalakim” (318). She goes further by mocking her daughter with the new name, “Wangero” (318). The daughter appears confused over her heritage by assuming that African Americans practice the same thing as Africans. More so, the girl seeks to use the family possessions as art rather than do practical work with them. The quilts, for instance, would be hanging on the walls rather than be used in the bedroom as alternatives to blankets. Conversely, Maggie would actually use the quilts on a daily basis when she gets married. She learned the art of quilt-making from her grandmother and mother as a young girl. Unfortunately, Dee was ashamed of her family and spent most of her time with friends outside the family compound. Therefore, relationships involving families depend on the willingness of a person to appreciate and love their culture.
Romantic relationships are another sign of childhood upbringing coupled with the personal habit. Most of the time spouses meet and maintain their union because they complement each other. A person like Dee (Wangero) brought home a suitor who had wealth and social standing because she believes those are the primary characters of a husband. The man had a car and enough money to buy jewelry and clothes for Dee (317). Asalamalakim appears to enjoy living in luxury as seen from his lifestyle and the way he greets Maggie. The narrator says that he wanted to greet her in a fancy but Maggie was troublesome (318). Subsequently, Dee wants to enjoy being an African American without learning about quilts and all those other things the mother taught Maggie. Both Dee and Asalamalakim complement their behavior, and that would explain their relationship. In contrast, Maggie wants to marry a local man who most of her relatives and friends know about. She is deeply cultural and appreciates her home. The two quilts described from the story were met with her and mother make sure she gets them by pushing Dee away (321). John Thomas is the suitor for Maggie and is described as a plain man with non-attractive looks. The narrator who is the mother says that he has mossy teeth and an earnest face (316). The two characters are simple and conservative people living in their home town. From the brief and non-comedic description of the Maggie and her suitor, she appears contented with the choice. All the same, these romantic relationships suggest that certain personalities attract certain spouses.
Stereotyping based on appearance is a key aspect of social gatherings and affects the types of relationships formed. For example, the mother talks about why she is illiterate. “The school was closed…colored asked fewer questions than they do now” (316). In so doing, the statement suggests that Blacks were viewed as second-class citizens as compared to the White majority. They had little control over their education and social activities because of their race. Strangely enough, the narrator profiles the man brought home by Dee. She does the same thing which she resents when used as a victim. She analyzes the man and concludes that he must belong to the beef-cattle people down the road (319). All these instances imply that people make some conclusions based on general appearance. The act can be offensive, but it comes out as a natural human impulse from as early as childhood. Dee defends her quest for the quilts by stating that Maggie would ruin them within five years. The assumption being that she was better placed to care for them. She forgets that Dee was closer to the grandmother and helped to finish them. These facts were enough for her to have them. The examples prove that appearances affect relationships and what people prefer.
Conclusively, relationships are strongly affected by culture. The daughter who accepted their culture gets along better with the parent. The other one, Dee, finds herself in fights like the one about quilts. Therefore, culture positively fosters family relationships; or, negatively when a person chooses to ignore them. In essence, these emotional bonds are developed as sources of satisfaction. The mother wishes Dee would embrace her on national television as a sign of acceptance and love. Stereotyping has become another aspect of relationships. People judge each other on the basis of looks and form relationships as a result. A perfect example is the clear disapproval of Asalamalakim because of his racial background and appearance. The mother understands the effects of racism but still does it. Finally, romantic relationships develop as a product of personal characters and the type of upbringing. A person forms a love union with another who complement in terms of behavior and mentality.

Works Cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 Walker, Alice. “Alice Walker- Everyday Use.” 1973. deanza.edu. <https://www.deanza.edu/faculty/leonardamy/Everyday%20Use.pdf>.