Fight of Tradition against Materialism in Everyday Use by Alice Walker Essay Example

illuminated the hidden strength that Mama possesed. This motherly act exemplified the strength that Mama already had and gave depth to what they had been through as a family. Another way that Walker uses point of view is when Dee asks about the origin of her name: “You was named after aunt Dicie'... 'And who was she named after?'... 'Her mother,' I said, and saw Wangero was getting tired. “That's about as far back as I can trace it,'I said. Though, in fact, I probably could have carried it back beyond the Civil War through the branches" (318). In this quote Mama is shown to have a deep connection with their family history and knows inside that what Dee is asking is not worth the time to explain to her. Dee's blatant disrespect for their culture and simple living up to this point has shown that she does not care for Mama and Maggie let alone the history of the name given to her. Lastly, Mama is a strong figure in the household, though she does not care to express it verbally. By using symbolism and point of view, Walker characterizes Mama's hidden strength and shows that tradition overcomes the need for materialism. With silence Mama is able to portray herself as an unmoving brick wall that has maintained it's history without having to flaunt that history with flashy possessions.