Pieces of fabric sewn together, to us, can resemble a quilt used as a blanket for warmth. However, in Everyday Use, a quilt is used to symbolize family heirlooms passed down from generation to generation. Symbolism is when an object such as a crucifix is ​​used to represent something larger, such as a religion, and not just a piece of wood. A crucifix can also be used to represent the pain endured by man and the heavy burden we carry every day. Many authors, including Alice Walker, use symbolism in order to give the reader a sense of the deeper meaning of the story. The character struggles to understand that "it's the people behind the quilts that are important" (Eshbaugh) and not just a piece of art to hang on the wall. In her remarkably well-kept yard, Mama Johnson and her daughter Maggie await the arrival of Dee, Maggie's sister, who has left to succeed in a big city. Dee has always been the girl who shines brightest, considering Maggie was badly burned and scarred in a house fire. The fire scarred Maggie physically and “also scarred her soul” (Velasquez). Maggie's scars caused her to feel embarrassed and inferior to her sister Dee. Mom expects Dee's visit to be like those reunions she sees on shows, including the show with a "sports man like Johnny Carson" (Walker 715). To Mom's surprise, her daughter's visit turns out to be a tragic moment where Dee becomes greedy and demands items. of the house to use as decoration in your townhouse. Dee's lack of understanding of the family heritage leads Mama and Maggie to find themselves confronted with familyMora(3) division. Ultimately, after Dee asked for the family quilt, Mom made the decision to give Maggie the quilt that had been promised to her for her wedding. Lots of...... middle of paper ..... .nes. Works Cited Bmad, Nick. “Symbolism in Walker’s “Everyday Use.” » Enotes.Np, July 4, 2007. Web. March 17, 2014 Eshbaugh, Ruth. “A Literary Analysis of Alice Walker’s Short Story ‘Everyday Use’.” Yahoo! Voices. Yahoo, Inc., August 21, 2008. Web. March 17, 2014. SparkNotes Publishers. “Themes, Motifs, and Symbols.” SparkNotes. Sparknotes LLC. Nd, Web. March 17, 2014. Velazquez, Juan R. “Characterization and Symbolism in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use.” » Lone star. Np, and Web. March 17, 2014. Walker, Alice. “Daily use.” Heritage of American literature. Ed. James E. Miller. Flight. 2. Austin: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1991. 714. PrintWhite, David. "'Everyday Use': Defining African-American Heritage." » Luminarium. Anniina Jokinen, September 19, 2002. Web. March 17, 2014. Writing editors' work. “Symbolism in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use.” » WriteWork. Np, May 2006. Web. March 17 2014.