Darlene took out her cell phone. “I might as well make sure she’s still alive,” she said, quickly dialing her home number. The small interior of the car allowed Walker to hear every piercing ring despite Darlene turning the phone’s volume as low as she could stand. “Hell…o?” the slurred voice of Tracey Coopersmith answered after the sixth ring. She sounded half way into a bottle of McCormick vodka. “Mom, this is Darlene.” “So is this the call to—are you still in New York?” Tracey asked. “Or are you off doing something selfishly stupid again?” Walker cringed at Tracey’s low blow. In what way did Darlene’s mother think it was fair to drag up past events that Darlene had apologized and was still paying for? Couldn’t Tracey see how far Darlene had come since those terrifying, stressful months when she’d ran away from home, leaving behind a single-sentenced note only naming the person she was going with? …show more content…
Why couldn’t her mother be? From his peripheral vision, he glimpsed Darlene’s angered and disappointed face, and for a moment Walker swore her pupils shrank and elongated vertically—like a cat’s. He did a double take, intensely studying her. There was nothing off. She was the same old Darlene. He might have seen a trick of the light from a passing car, but now Walker was on guard for anything strange more than he had been since she’d turned twenty-one in
What Mr. Walker fails to realize is that the family 's laughter is a show of solidarity for Rose; he like the therapist before is just trying to isolate Rose and fix her illness and doesn’t see that it affects all the family. At this point the family also comes to a realization that conventional therapist are not working for them and try someone a bit more unconventional and alternative in Dr.Throne.
everything she wanted and it was probably at Maggie’s expense. Mama and Maggie’s understanding of
Walker shows that in mother and daughter relationships adaptation to change can be hard in a variety of ways. First, Dee, Mother's oldest daughter, comes home to visit her mother and little sister Maggie. When she shows up, she introduces herself as "Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo" (416). Her mother is confused about why she wants to change her name, since it was the one that was passed down. Dee explains that the other name did not suit her. Now even though Mother reluctantly goes along with this new name, it is obvious that she is not used to changing names, especially if it is one of great family importance. Another character that that has a hard time changing along with Mother is Maggie. When Mother sent Dee to a good school where she could get a very good education, Dee used to come back and try to teach her lowly, uneducated family members. Maggie and her Mother were not used to this, and they were happy with the education that they had. Instead, Dee "read to us without pity; forcing words, lies other folks' habits, whole lives upon us two, sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice" (413) and tried t...
...h the serious way she read, to shove us away at just the moment, like dimwits, we seemed about to understand” (Walker).
In this story, Maggie is a lot like her mother. They both are uneducated, loving, caring, and allow Dee to run over them. Maggie has been through more things than her mother has though, because of the incident that happened. Maggie has scars like Emily, except Maggie’s scars are from a house fire (319). The house fire has impacted Maggie’s life tremendously, since she is very self-conscious and shy. Walker stated that Maggie is “ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs (318). The mother is protective of Maggie and will be there for her whenever she needs her too. Even though her mother knows all her struggles, she still supports her and pushes her to be better. I think that is one reason she pushes her to marry John Thomas, because she wants her to become her own person and to be strong (319). The mother of “Everyday Use” is opposite from the mother in “I Stand Here Ironing”, because she is there for her children no matter what their financial status
...s a tough-as-nails role model as a mother, could easily stand up for herself against a sassy girl like Dee if confronted. Walker has cast Maggie to remain a doormat to Dee’s antics which raises the questions whether or not she believes that African-Americans in today’s society should remain subservient to a more traditional African heritage or rely on the heritage that they and their forefathers have created for themselves in this country. I believe that Walker message is that a person’s heritage comes more from the connections that bind the generations together than a certain area, culture or country.
The last time Paulette was seen alive was on the 21st of March, on a Sunday night. The girl, alongside her father and 7 year old sister, had just returned from a weekend trip to Valle de Bravo (located in the state of Mexico, approx. 3 hours away from the capital), arriving at their apartment in Huixquilucan, state of Mexico around 9pm. Her mother, Lizette Farah, had not gone with them, going instead on a trip to Los Cabos with her friend Amanda and returning home on the same day as her family. Lizette vividly remembered putting her daughter to sleep that night, kissing her one last time before leaving the room. The next morning, Paulette’s nanny would alert the girl’s parents of her disappearance: **"I looked for her in the bathroom, under
The condescending attitude and request from Dee leads Maggie to feel ashamed of her life for a moment and she nearly gives the heirlooms away. “She can have them, Mama,” were the words of...
In the story “Everyday Use” Walker weaves us into the lives of Momma, Dee, and Maggie, an underprivileged family in rural Georgia. Momma is described as a loving, hard working woman who cares more about her family’s welfare than her appearance. The conflict comes along with Momma’s two daughters Dee and Maggie whose personalities are as different as night and day. Dee, the younger, is an attractive, full figured, light skinned young lady with ample creativity when it comes to getting what she wants and feels she needs. Maggie on the other hand, is darker skinned, homely and scarred from the fire that destroyed the family’s first house. Throughout the story we are told about Maggie’s timid and withdrawn behavior. Her own mother described her as “. . . a lame animal, perhaps a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to own a car . . . That is the way my Maggie walks . . . chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle, ever since the fire.” (Handout, Walker) She is constantly overpowered by her dominant sister who “held life in the palm of one hand, that “no” is a word the world never learned to say to her” (Handout, Walker). It seems as if Walker herself find Maggie inferior, seeing as how she is a minor character in the story. Things begin to turn around for Maggie towards the end when she receives the family’s...
Nor did she look in the blue bag. Instead she rummaged in her purse. In her hand appeared two bills. "You really and truly, earned this," she said handing them over. "Thank you for all your help, my pet." Rosaura felt her arms stiffen, stick close to her body, and then she noticed her mother 's hand on her shoulder. Instinctively she pressed herself against her mother 's body. That was all. Except her eyes. Rosaura 's eyes had a cold, clear look that fixed itself on Senora Ines 's face. Senora Ines, motionless, stood there with her hand outstretched. As if she didn 't dare draw it back. As if the slightest change might shatter an infinitely delicate
The mother describes her younger daughter, Maggie, as ."..not bright. Like good looks and money, quickness passed her by," and ."..perhaps a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to own a car, sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him...That's the way my Maggie walks." The reader already feels the older daughter Dee, although ."..stylish...with nicer hair and a fuller figure...and full of knowledge" is more like the careless person rich enough to own a car. Although Maggie and her mother make attempts to improve the appearance of themselves and their home for Dee's arrival and seem eager to see her, having no relation to Dee the reader is given no reason to like her. Already Walker is placing value on "slow, self-conscious," Maggie, who plans on marrying and staying close to home, and casting, Dee, who is attractive and cosmopolitan, and could conceivably bring greater resources to her sister and mother, in a negative light.
Connie went to pick the phone up "the telephone was clammy and very heavy and her fingers groped down to dial but were too weak to touch it. She began to scream into the phone, into the roaring."(Oates 8) Because did not make that call she had lost all hope. She gave up on herself and gave into Arnold Friend's demands. The phone was the last hope she had for the conclusion of the terrible warning to escape her possible death.
Peering out through my window, I watched Mrs. Clutch press a hand to her mouth as wrinkle contorted over her forehead. The officer spoke to her as if a burden weighed down on him, leaning back on his heels and resting his hands on his hips. He gestured to the vehicle containing Thaddius occasionally, and Mrs. Clutch’s shoulders began to tremble. This continued for a few more minutes before the officer retreated back to the car, disarmed the lights, and pulled away from the curb with Thaddius still in the back. Mrs. Clutch remained on the lawn for quite sometime. My heart went out to her, yet I couldn’t remove myself from the window, rather I just watched as she cried before dragging herself back into the house.
Jason had just got in the house when he picked up the phone to call Ginny. He knew she’d probably heard about the incident on the news, and knew she’d be going bonkers. After his initial greeting and efforts to calm her down and tell her about what he’d been through, he finally paused to let her respond. With every word she spoke, he could hear the strain in Ginny’s voice. He imagined her face looked just as stressed.
"Is this 20 questions now?” ha laughed. “I just thought I would call to see what you were doing, but I have to go, see you later."