Two Sisters in Everyday Use Often two children grow up in the same environment and turn out to be completely different. This is the case of Maggie and Dee, the two sisters in "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker. Although the girls were raised by the same woman, in the same home, their similarities end there. Maggie and Dee are different in their appearance, their personalities, and their ideas about family artifacts. Maggie isn't as attractive as Dee. She is a thin and awkward girl. Her mother notes that "her good looks have escaped her" (88). Furthermore, he acts like a person with low self-esteem, “chin on chest, eyes on the ground” (87). On the other hand, Dee is an attractive woman. Her mother describes Dee as having "beautiful hair and a full figure" (87). Dee takes pride in her appearance. He dresses in fashionable clothes. When Dee arrives for her visit, her mother says, “His feet were always neat, too” (88). In addition to their appearances, Maggie and Dee have unique personalities. When Maggie is first introduced into the story, she is nervous about her sister's visit. In fact, Dee's arrival makes Maggie so uncomfortable that she tries to flee to the safety of the house (88). Maggie is also intimidated by Dee, as shown when Maggie is unable to confront Dee about the quilts. Maggie gives up and says Dee might have the quilts because she's not used to "winning" (91). Unlike Maggie, Dee is a bold young woman (88). As a young girl, Dee was never afraid to express herself. His mother recalls that he "always looked anyone in the eye. Hesitation was not part of his nature" (87). Dee also proves selfish when she sets her sights on the butter churn. Dee doesn't seem to care that her family is still using the churn. He states that he will "display some of it in his alcove and do something artistic with the rest" (90). Family artifacts are important to both Maggie and Dee, but for different reasons. Maggie appreciates family quilts for their sentiment and utility. She learned to quilt from her grandmother and aunt who made quilts. Her mother saved the quilts for Maggie to use after she gets married. Quilts are meant to be used and enjoyed every day. Maggie implies that she sees the quilts as a memory of her grandmother and aunt when she says, "I can make them without the quilts" (91). Dee also appreciates family quilts. She sees quilts as priceless objects to own and display. Going to college brought Dee a new awareness of her heritage. He returns wearing ethnic clothes and has changed his name to "Wangero". Does she explain to her mother and Maggie that changing her name is the way to dissociate herself from "the people who oppress her"? (89). Before she went to college, quilts weren't good enough for her. Her mother had offered her one of the quilts, but she stated, “They were old-fashioned and out of fashion” (91). Now she is determined to have the quilts to display in her home, and Dee believes she can appreciate the value of the quilts more than Maggie, who will be "backward enough to use them every day" (9l). Dee wants the quilts for more materialistic reasons. She considers the quilts "priceless" (91). which turned out to be very different, Maggie is awkward and unattractive, while Dee is confident and attractive and is content with her simple life, while Maggie wants to have nice things she is nervous and intimidated by Dee, who is bold and selfish. Maggie appreciates the sentiment of the family quilts, while Dee wants to display them as a symbol of her heritage. Walker demonstrated that children raised in the same environment can develop into unique individuals. Work cited Walker, Alice. "Daily use." Literature‑ An Introduction to Reading and Writing 5th ed. Eds. Edgar V.:, 1998. 86‑92.