Everyday Use & Cathedral

"Everyday Use"

In the story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, readers follow the point-of-view of Mama, who is a hardworking person that does not fall under the norm of an "ideal" woman/mother. Mama raised two daughters, Maggie and Dee (later known as Wangero). Maggie was viewed as the underdog of the two sisters, where she tended to live in the shadow of Dee. In the story Maggie states, "'She can have them, Mama,' she said, like somebody used to never winning anything, or having anything reserved for her" (Walker 351). Evident through this example in the passage, Maggie was always used to being the unappreciated one of the two sister. In contrast, Dee was known as the perfect/ideal daughter and woman. Mama states, "Dee, though. She would always look anyone in the eye. Hesitation was no part of her nature" (Walker 346). According to this quote, Dee was the type of person that would get what she wants out of the world. Things came easier to Dee. 

The main conflict of the story arises when Dee wants to take the family quilts for herself. These quilts symbolized the history of the family, where grandmother Dee stitched pieces of her old dresses together. When Dee asks Mama for the quilts, Mama explains that she had already promised Maggie the quilts for when she gets married. Dee gets angry at this idea and explains her purpose for the quilts was to preserve them and showcase them as a homage to their family heritage. However, Mama stands up for Maggie and gives her the quilts because she would make use of them, rather than keeping them tucked away somewhere. In the context of the story, I believe it was right of Mama to give Maggie the quilts. Although Dee has good intentions of preserving them, I believe Maggie is more personally connected to them. Maggie grew up learning how to stitch and she has a practical purpose for the quilts. Whereas Dee initially thought of the quilts as "old-fashioned", but her perspective changed and she became more selfish with the family items, explaining that she wants them as a display of art. 

"Cathedral"

"Cathedral" is a story by Raymond Carver that follows the perspective of a narrator explaining his experience with his wife and her relationship with a blind man named Robert. The story follows the narrator explaining his narrow and inconsiderate beliefs he had of the blind man. He believed blind people couldn't have fun, were slow, and boring; and that he didn't want a blind man in his house. 

Raymond Carver focuses on the narrator as a means of showing the narrator's perspective and personal growth. Rather than writing the story through the blind man's perspective, we are able to see the change the narrator goes through when he learns more about the blind man. The narrator's spiritual development is somewhat the blind man's gift to the wife because the narrator becomes more attentive and aware of his actions. This provides aid to their marriage overall.