Alice Walker’s Everyday Use: A Study in Cultural Deviance

 Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”is a story that shows the contrast in culture and traditional values between two parties. The narrator is a mother to a daughter that has become somewhat estranged to the lifestyle that she grew up in and holds different values in her perception of culture and modernity.  The narrator’s daughter, Dee, is an educated but patronizing individual who has developed an attachment to her African roots. Is Dee’s alteration in identity a genuine one or one fueled by hypocrisy? Are her attempts to enlighten her mother and sister authentic or attempts to prove her superiority? Compared to her sister and mother, Dee is seen as a determined but self-absorbed individual whose desire for success could be witnessed in a young age. Walker attempts to demonstrate how a false sense of superiority acquired through education can lead to the deviance of cultural values such as how Dee sees her family as backward and not embracing the modern change for African Americans.

            The paper will take a strong focus on Dee’s deviance from her family’s tradition and heritage. I will analyze the difference between Dee’s cultural values and those that her family holds. The paper will look at the elements that make Dee different from her family and whether she uses her distinct identity as a means to oppress around her or as a way of improving their lives. In the first part, I will analyze texts and studies from different authors while comparing and contrasting their perspective on the issue. In the second part, I will give my view about the topic and state whether I agree, disagree or hold both sides of the opinion.

            Personally, the topic influences my perspective of handling my growth in knowledge and education and my identity. As I have come to realize, people tend to forget their roots or their cultural values when they become ‘educated.’ Individuals who use their knowledge and education to belittle the people that are around them are detrimental to society. Instead, the best form of approach is accepting the individuals around you and embracing the comfort they have in their simple lifestyle. Researching into this topic helps me to understand the importance of family heritage even in the midst of the modernizing society.

            As part of my research process, I will use the school’s book database and online libraries to develop a rich understanding of the topic. I will use JSTOR’s database to research the work of other authors that have written about Walker’s “Everyday Use.”I will find sources that are similar in perspective and those that have a contrasting opinion on cultural deviance in the story. I will keep track of useful research material while finding information about the authors to develop an annotated bibliography.

            After acquiring all the necessary research materials that I require, I will begin with a rough draft. I will first develop an annotated bibliography to develo a better understanding of the references I will use. The rest of the remaining time to complete my essay, I will use it to develop both parts of the essay; first as a basic draft and an outline of my work then finally the rough draft. The final days remaining I will use to proofread my work and eliminate any grammatical errors while adjusting any necessary details in my essay.