Everyday Use

The whole story is told from the two girls’ mother’s point of view. Right off the bat I didn’t like Dee. She seemed very resentful of where she came from, and was more than eager to get of there. Someone should not be so happy when they’re house is burning down. She says that regardless of where her family chooses to live she will still manage to visit but she’s not bringing her friends (her mother and sister wonder if she ever had any friends). Plus she seems to put her self above her mother and sister, how she would read to them about difficult or unnecessary (to them) things to know and seem upset when her family actually understood; like she put herself above them. Both the mother and the daughter seem simple, and I don’t mean simple minding. I mean they enjoy simple things and getting things done. Dee wanted to be more complex but it really just kind of made her seem shallow. I felt bad for Maggie, scarred in an accident and horribly self-conscious, walking like a dog that’s been run over, a lame animal. It’s sad because she seems like a really nice person but people stay away from those who they see as crippled or retarded. Maggie seems a little slow mentally but that doesn’t make her a bad person. I hate to see people like that treated badly just because of something they can’t help. Maggie envious of her sister, her mother (and thus we) can see it and I can see why she would be.