Essay Sample on Impact of the Point Of View in Alice Walker's "Everyday Use"

Introduction

Reading different types of literacy texts give readers an opportunity to reacts analyses as well as evaluate the significance of the author's intention. Most authors use several literacy devices which forces readers to employ critical approaches in evaluating the literary text. Similarly, a point of view is another essential aspect that helps readers to know the perspective from which a story is being told. This paper focuses on discussing the impacts of the point of view in Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" to the readers' understanding of and reaction to both Dee and Maggie.

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Point of view refers to the perspective from which the author tells his or her story. In the story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, the author uses the main character or first-person narrator to tell her story. The story in the Everyday Use is told the mother who acts as the primary role in the narration. The story circumnavigates around the life of a mother who is trying to adapt to the changing times with a significant and complete difference in her daughters. Having the story told from the mother's point of view, Alice Walker reveals the feelings of the mother her definition of her daughters Maggie and Dee as well as herself.

Reading the story of "Everyday Use," from Momma's point of view creates an exact feeling that one may feel and experience. It allows readers to picture and feel for every character in the story.Alice Walker's use of Momma's point of view defines her feelings about her daughters as well as the degrees of separation between the two girls. Mother describes Maggie as a child who is partially educated who does not look very appealing as compared to her older sister. During a house fire accident, Maggie was burned leaving her scared all over her beautiful body. As a result, she does not wear any great or decent clothes as well as does she attract men as-as compared to her sister Dee. Dee, on the other hand, is portrayed as an educated young woman. She is focused on her life and is very well to take every adventure. Mother says that Dee is concentrated on her studies and usually read her and her sister Maggie without pity. She also describes Dee as a very stylish child; her fashion is splendid and is always up on the current styles and prepared dresses out of the old suits which momma usually likes. Her unique qualities and attributes usually impress momma although she is slightly threatened with these unfamiliar characteristics.

Notably, from the description which is given by momma about her daughter, readers easily feel the difference that existed in her thoughts towards her daughter. Momma describes the difference with explicit audacity that makes it easier for readers to analyses the differences between her two daughters, Dee and Maggie. For example, it is a feeling of pity and sympathy for Maggie after getting burned during a house fire. The incident made her feels out of place and never willing to change for anything better (Rosenfelt 112). However, in the case of Dee who is regarded as an educated and enthusiastic young woman, her characteristics make her win several souls.

Moreover in the story "Everyday Use.", Alice Walker also uses point of view to incredibly sound and meaningful in her story. She uses the character momma to presents enough information about the characters so that a clear view of is developed based on their actions and lifestyles. Notably, when Dee arrived with her companion, the mispronunciation of her mother became evident leading to its adoption of African names, especially of her daughter. The vivid description was ridiculed by her boyfriend who was encouraged by the new identity (Gale 142). As a result, Momma explains that Dee rejected her name as wishes to be called "Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo." She explains her change was mainly to because she was not able to bear more the name she was having which was given to her after the people who oppressed her.

Pointing to the ridiculous actions, momma counters and pleaded with her to show her feeling towards the move, "You know as well as me you were named after your aunt, Dicie." Readers are therefore juxtaposed between reasoning and feeling towards pertinent issues which affect the family history. For instance, with sudden emotion snatches the quilts from Wangero, Momma hugs Maggie and walks her into the room. Later she drops the quilts on Maggie's lap to show her agony (Gale 142). The action taken by Dee changed her mother's perception and love to love. Momma got impressed with the quiet dignity and integrity of Maggie as opposed to Dee fashionable pretense which is evident in her lack of appreciation to the family's tradition.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the mother's point of view in the story places each character in place and time, and Momma records the actions and verbal utterance of the three characters, indeed, represents various types of emotions and feelings that readers have while reading literary texts. Overall, Walker underscores the importance of feelings and emotions while critical analyzing a book at a certain point of view.

Works Cited

Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide to Alice Walker's Everyday Use. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2015.

Rosenfelt, Deborah. "In Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women." Radical Teacher 113 (2019): 4-123.