If you enjoy readings written by Alice Walker, you are bound to learn a lot of life lessons. In the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, there are many teachings about self-esteem, communication, and respect; but the critical message is focused on the aspect of how three women were culturally disconnected over time. If you are interested in learning more about this cultural disconnect, continue reading.

To give you a summary, the short story took place in the South of rural Georgia in the 1970’s. Mama, an old-fashioned mother is the narrator of the story. Her purpose is to help readers get a clear view of the story. Maggie and Dee are her daughters who help tell the story. Maggie is shy, family oriented, and self-conscious. While, Dee is more self-centered, beautiful, and extremely bright. This causes maggie to be jealous of her. Maggie takes pride in knowing her family history, unlike Dee who knows nothing about her family tree or the quilts that were hand stitched and passed down from generation to generation. This lack of knowledge shows just how culturally aware Maggie is compared to Dee and her disconnect. Since Dee does not know what the quilt really means it goes to show just how infused she is with the Black Power Movement and her new life but disconnected to her own family heritage.

In reality, every culture is unique in its own way. Therefore, when it comes to actually knowing yourself and who you really are, you should never forget your heritage because, in a way, you are forgetting a part of yourself. When a couple gets married it is even more special because you can be from two completely different worlds but you both get to share, connect and learn from each other. You also get to share cultural dinners, family traditions, and languages. To relate this back to the story, Dee brought over her significant other Hakim-a-Barber who is a Black Muslim partaking in the Black Power Movement along with Dee. Hakim-a-Barber failed to realize cultural appreciation when Mama made an old fashioned family dinner to show him comfort and southern hospitality. He rejected the dinner by saying “No thank you I don't eat pork.” Instead of being open minded to their culture, he was blinded and strictly focused on his own, and we can see this same behavior reflecting on Dee. After this dinner, conflict arises when Mama and Maggie begin to separate from Dee and her significant other. and they do not want to accept Dee's new way of life, shutting down the opportunity to venture out of their small rural area into the new era of culture.

Many people do not understand their background and where they come from in today’s society; however it is not very difficult to do so especially due to the fact that technology exist. Sites such as Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, and much more all ignite the connection of finding out who you are and where you come from. Consequently, in 1970 advanced technology was merely a dream with the computer not even invented, so in actuality Dee needed her mother and Maggie to understand her culture. The fact that Mama had sent Dee off to college to experience a different cultural vibe and when she came back to visit she was bright educationally but lacked accepting her original culture to the point of stating to Mama “Not ‘Dee,’ Wangero Leewanika Kemajano...she’s dead...I couldn’t bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me” (Walker 253). As usual, this quote shows just how selfish and inconsiderate Dee is not only to Mama for not realizing that her name has been passed down and traced from “Grandma Dee…to her mother” (Walker 253). But also, Dee has cheated herself for not caring about her heritage and where her birth name comes from at least keeping her original name Dee along with her new profound name Wangero.

All in all, there are thousands of different cultural aspects that everyone will be exposed to whether positive or negative. One, must take into consideration someone else’s viewpoint beyond their own, when it comes to everyday choices like food, traditions, or even languages. Thus, cultural conflicts can be avoided by the simple act of learning about yourself and where you come from but also taking the time to learn others perspectives also.