Symbolic References in Everyday Use by Alice Walker

Symbolism is the taking of an object big or small, and giving it something to stand for. It could be your everyday math symbols for addition, subtraction, division, and etc. Although math symbols are perfect examples of symbolism, there’s also objects that can be more than what they are. For example animals, Lions are known to be symbolized as strength, aggression, and assertiveness. Birds like doves are symbolized as love and peace. Colors are also held symbolically, for instance the color black resembling death, and depression. As for reds and pinks symbolizing love, valentine’s day being a perfect example of those two colors showing up all over the place. In the short story â€Å"Everyday Use†, symbolism is used in objects that tend to†¦show more content†¦Mama Johnson, as stated in the article: â€Å"Everyday Use: Defining African-American Heritage is â€Å"a large big-boned woman with rough, man working hands†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Luminarium), she resembles the strength in Maggie’s life.in the article â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker Symbolism it states that â€Å"Since Maggie had certain incapability due to her mental and physical abuse from the fire, the mother considered her young daughter somewhat helpless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Write). Maggie couldn’t get back up on her feet all on her own, the mother had to help her up. This showed that Mama Johnson had the aspect of keeping a strong bond, something that has been in her family for generations. Mama Johnson has been able to dedicate to carry on her heritage in the right manner. Mama Johnson is the true symbolization of heritage in the short story â€Å"Everyday Use†. She’s lived in the true times of her heritage showing that she knows more than her daughters about where they come from. It wouldn’t matter how much knowledge her eldest daughter Dee carried, because it still wouldn’t make her a reliable source when it came to their heritage. Mama puts the objects that have been passed down from past generations to everyday use. Mama’s doing the right thing, due to that fact that this what past generations have done. Mama Johnson has more knowledge on her heritage than Dee does. In the article â€Å"A Literary Analysis of Alice Walker’s short story Everyday Use† it quotes that â€Å"Mama knows the names of theShow MoreRelatedEveryday Use - the Gift of Family945 Words   |  4 Pages Everyday Use is a short story that teaches a value lesson of heritage, inheritance, the past, and one’s family. For some the lesson maybe perceived as an illustration to develop the natural instinct of valuing our family and our past as objects of everyday use. However, the lesson that Alice Walker conveys to her readers is to understand that the value of heritage is within the eye of the beholder. Within this paper I will explain the strategies; I think the writer uses to convey particularRead MoreEveryday Use by Alice Walker: A Look at Symbolism and Family Values879 Words   |  4 PagesAlice Walkers â€Å"Everyday Use†, is a story about a family of African Americans that are faced with moral issues involving what true inheritance is and who deserves it. Two sisters and two hand stitched quilts become the center of focus for this short story. Walker paints for us the most vivid representation through a third person perspective of family values and how people from the same environment and upbringing can become different types of people. 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