...“Everyday Use” Alice Walker clearly depicts two contrasting meanings of heritage through characterization and symbolism of her two daughters, walker highlights the difference between two interpretations of African American culture and heritage. The gist of the story in “Everyday Use” is how mama bit by bit rejects the superficial beliefs of Dee, her older and extraordinary daughter in admiration of the values about heritage from her less fortunate daughter Maggie. With a more profound thought walker is going into the contrasting culture and heritage of African Americans and superficial African Americans. Mama narrates the story, Ms. Johnson or “Mama” is a woman whose everyday life is part of her culture and heritage. Mama describes herself as, “a large, big-boned woman with rough, man working hands. In the winter I wear flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day. I can kill a hog as mercilessly as a man”(155). With knowing that only has a second grade education we can say that she has no choice but to follow tradition and heritage, and stay in the home like she grew up in and work the field as other before her did. Even as mama is more or less forced to do so, still she has a great understanding and value of the concept of heritage and culture. In knowing Mama’s love and compassion for her heritage she gives the quilts to Maggie, because Dee wants the quilts to preserve and display her heritage of her ancestors. Mama gives the quilts to Maggie because Mama knows that...
Words: 895 - Pages: 4
...Conflict Essay “Everyday Use”-Alice Walker Alice Walker authored the short story entitled “Everyday use”. In this story we get a set of characters, round (Mama) and flat (quilt) and several supporting characters, like Hakim-a-barber. Walkers “Everyday Use” is set somewhere between 1960’s America right around the time the civil rights movement was taking place. The setting takes place at Mama’s house primarily with the exception of a flashback to their old house that burned down. The plot of the story reveals the characters cultural pride and ignorance towards the changing times. The themes in “Everyday Use” are, the meaning of heritage and the power of education. Additionally, the author creates different conflicts that arise throughout the story in which they are: man vs. man, man vs. society, and man vs. himself. Man vs. Man is first seen between Dee and Mama due to the fact that Mama doesn’t meet up to Dee’s standards. This coincides with the theme, power of education. Mama struggled to send Dee to a good school, which could have ended up doing more harm than good in regards to their relationship. Mama herself was denied an education and her youngest daughter Maggie lacks in that department. Therefor, giving Dee the advantage of being the only one educated which makes her arrogant and condescending. The education that Mama generously gave to Dee only created a bigger wedge between them and the family. Dee with her knowledge and way of the world becomes a...
Words: 1043 - Pages: 5
...Themes of the story:Identity, heritage, racism and prejudice are the main themes of the story. Billy/William is strugglingbetween two identities as the names show. William Jacob is the white boy doing well in school,being a great football player and an talented artist. Billy is the aboriginal boy who left his pastwithout looking back, being hated in the eyes of his own people for trying to be somebody else.Even though no matter how he acts, his skin will always be black and his eyes brown.He is raised by aborigines, so he will always be affected by the black heritage. He is raised in thiscertain way, and even though he tries escaping it, he will not succeed. While the heritage affectshim, the people around him will also judge him because of his looks. The story proves that peoplewill always be prejudice towards him, even though he tries his hardest to become white. He will bereminded of his past every time a black aboriginal looks him in his eyes.The racism towards aboriginals is very extreme in this society. All the aboriginals look like drunkenbastards, and it’s almost impossible to escape the stereotypes. That’s why the government andpolice are trying to stop the aboriginals committing crimes - ALL of them, even the innocent ones.The Past:The Past is a poem about a man sitting in suburbia, in a home with an electric heater. He falls intodream about his past, where he was sitting in the nature in front of a campfire. He is probably alsoan aboriginal who has moved away from his...
Words: 351 - Pages: 2
..."Everyday Use” - Literary Analysis Alice walker writes about the importance of inheriting family heritage and how it passes on to generations. This story is based on conflicts of two generations; on the bonds of a mother and daughter and their legacy which is symbolized as two hand stitched quilts. The narrator, Mama introduces us to her two daughters who have conflicting minds. Mama is disappointed on the behavior and the tension that takes place when Dee forces her to make a difficult decision about who gets the quilts. The story unfolds when Mama’s eldest daughter Dee, returns home for the first time after finishing college and starts claiming for possessions. The younger Maggie has never left home and is shown to be of quiet character, who was severely burned in a house fire when she was a child due to which her sympathetic and generous nature is over shadowed by her ugly scarred face. Dee, being stylish and blessed with good looks is the centre of agitation between the family and invokes jealously. Her feet appear "as if God himself had shaped them with a certain style." (385). Around Dee, the younger sister is a coward and since the fire she walks with "chin on her chest, eyes on the ground." (384) . The narrator is protective around her daughters hoping that Maggie becomes self confident and stands up for her right. The narrator fantasizes about reuniting with Dee on a television talk show and day dreams about Dee expressing gratitude to Mama acknowledging what all...
Words: 825 - Pages: 4
...Tsandi Royal homestead which is a Cultaral heritage museum. The region share a border with the Etosha National park , the governemrnt in 1996 passed a legislation that enabled the Uukwaluudhi people to form a conversacy to manage wildlife and tourism. The region has so many animals such as kudu, zebra, black rinho and so many bird species. There is the Baobab Tree heritage centre and campsite in Outapi town. This tree is over a 1000 years old abd it has been used for so many puposses such a chapel,fotess, landmark and a kindergarten. In the present day there is a kiosk which rents braai stands and sells wood, there are also campsites in the area. There is the Omugulugwombashe monument, which was constructed by the government a place of commemoration of the liberation struggle for independence. This is the place that were the war started in 1966. The region ids home to the Mighty Ruacana Falls. There is the Hippo Pool, this is located next to the falls. There are 10 camps which are lacated under Mopane trees(http://www.omusatirc.gov.na). As a councilor ro win back the respect of the people I shall use the ethical concept of respect.Resoct is defined as a feel or understanding that some one is important, serious and sould be trated in a certain way (http://www.merriam-webster.com). Under this principle I shall get some people and to observe respect at the cultural museum and to have infomaation on the people that book at the heritage centre so that we preserve our culture...
Words: 602 - Pages: 3
...African indigenous education A major shortcoming of African traditional education is that it focused almost exclusively on the clan or tribe and hardly prepared its recipients for outside contact. Practically, this meant that the skills and knowledge possessed by a given ethnic group could not he easily transmitted to another tribe (Tiberondwa, 1978). Moreover, the absence of literacy implied that the accumulated knowledge and skills could not be preserved in a written form. This prevented the transfer of the same from one locality to another and from one generation to the next. Many wise Africans have died with their own wisdom. A close examination of traditional methods of teaching further reveals that customary education was wanting or deficient in this area. Tiberondwa (1978) has rightly observed that among sorne tribes in pre-colonial Uganda, for example, there was too much reliance on inculcation of fear and punishment as a means of teaching. Among the Ankole, "slow learners and offenders were killed to discourage slow learning and scare young people from committing similar offences" (Tiberondwa, 1978, p. 10). This means of teaching could only produce learners who, out of fear, were obedient and submissive. They committed to memory ideas that they did not understand and the values they had no right to question. Indigenous education thus tended to kill the spirit of initiative, innovation and enterprise, that of which are (or should be) promoted by modem education...
Words: 640 - Pages: 3
...and sister" (par. 3). She makes her feelings clear when she attempts to "take" the quilts Mama had promised to Maggie: "Maggie can't appreciate these quilts... she'd probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use" (Walker, 103). By using the quilts for purposes other than their original intent she believes that she is respecting her heritage, but this is not the case: her desire to put them on display is "really not quite so different from the white capitalist cashing in on ethnic artworks" (Sexton, par. 4) Not only is she conforming to the worst of American ideals, but she is rejecting and disrespecting her own cultural heritage-- all under the pretenses of preserving it. It is in this sense that she is the "embodiment of the struggle for a unifying identity," because she has not yet come to understand her place in society as both an African and an American. In great contrast with Dee, Maggie is a simplistic and good-hearted person. These characteristics add dimension to the story, and make her a "more likely bearer of sacredness, tradition, and true value than her "brighter" sister". She understands the true meaning of heritage. Just as her sister asserts, Maggie is "backward...
Words: 1207 - Pages: 5
...Johnson to help point out the struggle between the preservation of her heritage and the living of it. This limited omniscient point of view not only showcases Walker's ability to subliminally influence us to take sides for Mama and her youngest daughter Maggie, but to also show the inherent struggle between the families everyday perception of objects that Mama's oldest daughter Dee sees as something to be maintained and cherished for as along as possible. The point of view through Mama's eyes accentuates the innocent eye point of view by showing her naivety and simplicity to the outside world that Dee has always so thrived in and her lack of ability to understand old heirlooms that she would see preserved to keep the heritage alive she lives everyday. Mama Johnson is first presented immediately as someone who can be trusted through her knowledge of things presented to her firstly by describing her misfortunate youngest daughter Maggie by saying “She is not bright. Like good looks and money, quickness passed her by,” as well as stating she “was never a good singer” and “never could carry a tune” (Alice 163). These blunt observations helps the reader trust what Mama Johnson says because they are things personally significant to her and personal within her life and about her family. She does not sugar coat the truth or try to mask what is in front of her because she has no reason to hide what is her heritage because it is the life she lives everyday. When Dee finally arrives...
Words: 756 - Pages: 4
...50 Hurt Plaza, S.E., Suite 595, Atlanta, GA 30303‐2915 • 404‐523‐6220 Georgia Humanities Grant Guidelines, Fall 2015 Application deadline: September 30, 2015 Maximum Grant Amount: $2,000 Projects can begin on or after January 30, 2016 Georgia Humanities invites 501(c)‐3 nonprofit organizations to apply for a program grant of up to $2,000 to support local humanities programs. The National Endowment for the Humanities defines the humanities as: The study of history, literature, language (modern and classical), philosophy and archaeology; as relevant to the human environment and with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the significance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life. Eligibility All applicants (nonprofit organizations) must have an IRS 501(c)‐3 status and must include their IRS determination letter with the application. GH also requires a DUNS number. Individuals are ineligible to apply. Organizations with an open GH grant are not eligible to apply until all required final paperwork is submitted. Examples of GH‐funded projects include: film presentations with discussions; literary events; historic walking tours/ printed guide booklets; cemetery programs/tours; living history programs with scholar introductions; exhibitions; oral history projects; educational workshops (children and adults) in college and public libraries; digital adaptations of existing records with ...
Words: 2580 - Pages: 11
...community heritage registers to formally list real property that they identify as having heritage value or heritage character. A key piece of each record on a community heritage register is the Statement of Significance. This is the part that satisfies the Local Government Act requirement to indicate the reasons why property included in a community heritage register is considered to have heritage value or heritage character. A Statement of Significance (SoS): summarizes the description, heritage value and character-defining elements of each historic place reflects modern values concerning history and historic places identifies what part of history a historic place represents, and how and why that is of value and importance today Writing a Statement of Significance about a historic place does not establish its heritage value. The SoS simply records the heritage values that community members already associate with the place. It shows how a particular historic place represents broader community heritage values that, ideally, have been identified in advance through extensive research and community consultation as part of the local government’s heritage conservation program. The heritage values identified within a Statement of Significance extend beyond the physical aspects of the historic place. A community’s historic places are the physical manifestation of the aesthetic, historic, scientific, cultural, social or spiritual heritage values which form the heritage character...
Words: 5441 - Pages: 22
...diving spots are among the country's most popular tourist destinations. The country's rich historical and cultural heritage is also one of its attractions and Vigan is one of the places where breathtaking taking cultural heritage can be found. The town of Vigan is one of the earliest Spanish settlements in the country, and was founded in 1572 by Juan de Salcedo. Vigan is filled with Spanish-style structures that remained unbroken or restored and it is well known for its cobblestone street, Calle Crisologo. According to the history, the name Calle Crisologo was named after the writer and respected son of Ilocos, Mena Pecson Crisologo. Calle Crisologo is the most beautiful and historical street in Vigan. The street is known for its cobble-stoned pathway lined with well preserved Spanish-style ancestral houses with similar architectural details. In this modern time, some of the houses have been turned into stores, restaurants and museums and some have been converted into inns. Souvenirs from Vigan and other interesting Filipino products can also be found in this street. Furthermore, Calle Crisologo is one of the streets where we can still ride an actual calesa like here in Intramuros and in Binondo. At night, the street turns into a romantic and lovely place because of the old ambience of the street lamps. It is really a good thing that most historical heritages like the Calle Crisologo still exist...
Words: 258 - Pages: 2
...demonstrates the importance of one’s heritage, by showing how ignorant and unappreciative Dee is of the contributions made by her ancestors. Dee is characterized by what she says. On one occasion Mama addresses her by her birth name, Dee. In reply Dee says, “No Mama. Not “Dee,” Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo!” Mama asked why and she says Dee is dead and she couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after people who oppress her. Mama then highlights her ignorance of her family’s heritage by informing her on where her name originated. She tells Dee that she was named after her aunt, who was named after Grandma Dee, who inherited the name of her mother as well. A person who possesses real heritage and culture make use of it every day of their life on the other hand Dee exhibits being shameful and ignorant of her heritage. On another occasion Dee addresses her family about some quilts. She is determined to get the quilts, but has no idea or knowledge of how the family’s jewels are infused with the presence of the people who made and used them. It was made clear that mama understands that Maggie, not Dee, should have the quilts because Maggie will respect and appreciate the jewels by using them in the way they were intended to be used and not put on display like an exhibit at a museum. To Dee, heritage is the past, something to frame or hang on the wall, a mere artistic reminder of her family history. In Conclusion Dee is ashamed of her family’s heritage and what they represent. She grasps...
Words: 327 - Pages: 2
...------------------------------------------------- Module Title: BUILDING Appraisal Appreciation & Conservation Assignment 2 Conservation Plan & Feasibility Study ------------------------------------------------- Module Title: BUILDING Appraisal Appreciation & Conservation Assignment 2 Conservation Plan & Feasibility Study Ian Scott Student ID 471727 Module Code: 6104 BEUG Module Leader: P.Kenny & S.Buxbaum Submission Date: 16/04/12 Ian Scott Student ID 471727 Module Code: 6104 BEUG Module Leader: P.Kenny & S.Buxbaum Submission Date: 16/04/12 Liverpool John Moores University School of the Built Environment Conservation Plan & Feasibility Study Of The Wellington Rooms (Known locally as the Irish Centre) The Wellington Rooms 2011 http://flickr.com/photos Report prepared by Mr Ian Scott: Student ID: 471727 Report Contents 1. Executive Summary 3 2. Introduction 3 3. Site Location & Description 3 4. Listing Extract 4 5. Statutory Controls 5 6. Evaluation of Development 5-6 7. Development Options 6-7 8. Appraisal of Repairs 7-9 9. Adaption Works 9-10 10. Conclusion 10 11. References & Bibliography 11 12. Photographs & Illustrations 12-16 ------------------------------------------------- 1.0 Executive Summary This executive summary provides a conservation...
Words: 3390 - Pages: 14
...August 2012 To What Extent is Negative Heritage a Benefit to Society? UCL Language Centre Student: QIFAN WANG Tutor: MARK BAILEY Date: 16/08/2012 Word count: 1854 words Introduction Cultural heritage, including monuments, groups of buildings and sites, which are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science(1972, UNESCO Convention World Heritage), is inherited from past generations, maintained in the contemporary era and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. While seemingly uncontroversial and due to its significant position and profoundly influential value, human beings are exploring ancient civilization and preserving cultural heritage. However, we should recognize that not all heritage represents a positive memory , the uncritical interpretation of heritage is indeed omit negative factors of the past. In order to distinguish heritage more thoroughly, we use the term “negative heritage” which is defined as sites that may be interpreted by a group as commemorating conflict, trauma and disaster (Rico 2010), more specifically, Meskell deems that negative heritage is a conflicting site that becomes the repository of negative memory in the collective imaginary (Meskell 2002, 558). Unlike other heritage which can win widespread appreciation and permanent admiration, negative heritage refers to death, wars, religious conflicts and culture clashes. Controversies of negative heritage are often more salient than its values...
Words: 2163 - Pages: 9
...the changing world around him and his responsibility towards it. His story is one of inspiration borne out of struggle and torment, the relentless pursuit of an aesthetic ideal, and one man’s determination to make a difference. Early beginnings Being born into a relatively affluent Newar family, Dwarika Das Shrestha was sent to school in India at the tender age of six. With less than one percent of the Nepali population being literate, in the early 1950s, as Nepal took its first steps towards democracy, it was ill equipped to face the challenges of modernisation. It stood at a position where it could neither fully embrace the dramatic changes that modernity brought, nor fully comprehend the value and potential of its ancient cultural heritage. Dwarika Das Shrestha completed his education with a degree in law and commerce in the early 1950s, and returned to Nepal with the dream of helping Nepal regain its past glory. His first business was the establishment of the first hotel in Nepal, Paras Hotel, in 1952, at a time when Nepal was yet to establish itself as a tourist destination. The hotel’s primary patrons were Indian and Nepali pilgrims who came to visit the Pashupati Temple. Back then, charging religious pilgrims for shelter was considered sacrilegious and earned Dwarika Das the wrath of his family. In the late 1950s, Dwarika Das Shrestha bought the land upon which The Dwarika’s Hotel is now located and built on it a small family home, incorporating into the design some...
Words: 3415 - Pages: 14