Sibling Comparison of Everyday Use Essay Example for Free

Sibling Comparison of Everyday Use Essay Sibling Similar Differences â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker tells a story of a mother who narrators the visit of her daughter from college and the conflict between her two daughters. The mother, named Mrs. Johnson, gives descriptions of her daughters’, Dee and Maggie, personality and looks, and each daughter description is opposite of each other. Additionally, Mrs. Johnson describes each daughter’s education level, which also differs. The only hidden similarity between these two sisters is the fact each one of them lacks confidence. Dee’s lack of confidence is more implicit, while Maggie’s lack of confidence is explicit. By doing this, Walker has the mother to develop a contrast between the sisters’ personality, appearance, and education, but forms a similarity from each sister’s lack of confidence. Mrs. Johnson first reveals the differences between Dee’s and Maggie’s looks and personality. Mrs. Johnson states, â€Å"Dee is lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and a full figure† (paragraph 10). This comparison of the two sister show that Mrs. Johnson favors Dee’s lighter skin tone, grade of hair and body shape over her other daughter Maggie. Moreover, Mrs. John describes Dee’s foot as â€Å"neat looking, as if God himself had shaped them with a certain style† (paragraph19). Mrs. Johnson statement makes it more evident that she praises Dee’s appearance more by including God more so in Dee’s creation and never mentions it for Maggie’s creation. By her favoring the overall look of Dee causes her daughter to feel more deserving of nicer things and seemingly more confident than Maggie. However, this pedestal that Mrs. Johnson put Dee on, makes Dee feel superior to her family that causes Dee to reject her heritage and upbringing. Contrary to Dee’s look and personality, Maggie is described to be less appealing and confident. Mrs. Johnson portrays Maggie to be â€Å"thin† (paragraph 7) and that â€Å"good looks†¦passed her by† (paragraph 13). This portrait of Maggie is insulting for a mother to say and exposes Mrs. Johnson favoritism. Additionally, she compares Maggie’s walk to that of a hit dog, showing that she prefer the overall look of Maggie. Mrs. Johnson then describes Maggie to always be â€Å"chin on chest, eyes on the ground, feet in shuffle†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (paragraph 9). This description shows that Maggie lacks confidence to the point that she feels lower than people, especially her sister, and undeserving of things unlike her sister. The major contrast between the sisters is their education level. Dee is the sister that goes to college and seems to better herself, while Maggie stays at home and mostly taught about things from her heritage. Dee is said to â€Å"read without pity† and â€Å"force† (paragraph 11) unwanted knowledge unto her family. Dee believes that this knowledge makes her higher than her family that creates a separation between her and her family. Also by gaining this knowledge she is looking for an outside life and not that of her mother and sister. In order to do this she feels as though she must change her name. While Maggie, on the other hand, does not receive the same education, but instead take on her mother ways and lack in education. Maggie reading is described as choppy with stumbling. In addition, Mrs. Johnson makes it know that Maggie â€Å"is not bright† (paragraph 13) revealing that Maggie is uneducated. Maggie is less educated than Dee because their mother pushed education more on Dee. The reason Mrs. Johnson emphasis education more on Dee is because she felt that Dee was more suited for that high level life, more so than Maggie. Maggie’s lack of education causes her to accept her home life, stifling her from ever experiencing the outside world beyond their mother’s yard. Walker may have set this educational difference up to show the dangerous that too much knowledge can lead to alienation, while the dangers of too little of an education can suppress a person’s fulfillment, which these two sister show. Even with all these difference, both sisters share one ultimate similarity of lacking confidence in some aspect of life. Maggie is seen in the forefront within her personality. Maggie is seen as shy and timid because of lifelong comparison to her sister that causes her not to feel worthless. Additionally, the scars she receives from the fire enhanced her lack of self confidence making her want to hide in the shadows. Similar to her sister, Dee shockingly lacks in confidence. Unlike Maggie, Dee does not seem to be lacking in self-confidence.