Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use,” is a narration provided by Mama, a big boned-woman that dreams of being a smart and funny mother to her daughters. She has two daughters, Maggie and Dee, who later changed her name to Wangero after she decided to claim her African American heritage. Of the two daughters, Dee has got an education, unlike her sister and her mother. The other story that constitutes the literature analysis is John Updike’s “A&P.” The story involves a young man that makes a vital decision that could affect his life. The young protagonist, quits his job at the supermarket primarily because the establishment’s management has embarrassed three girls. He was not aware of how difficult the world would be for him after making the decision to quit. The authors use characterization, symbolism, and imagery to promote empathy, understanding, and the meaningfulness of the stories.
In Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use,” the narrator uses characterization as well as symbolism to create meaning in the story. For instance, the narrator describes Maggie’s burned skin and her lack of education to portray her as a helpless individual. She is seemingly worn down by the different events in her life, which contradicts the life lived by her sister, who was “…lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and fuller figure” (Walker, 1944, p. 316). The audience can use the descriptions as a point for understanding the lives lived by the two sisters, one of them doomed to living in an uncivilized society, while the other enjoying the exposure of civilization through pursuing education. The symbols and characterization could be used as a point of reference that would assist in understanding the different life situations of the characters.
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Walker also uses imagery to enhance people’s understanding of the story and to derive meaning and empathy for the characters. For instance, she describes Maggie as a pathetic pooch that might have been run over by a careless individual that is “…rich enough to own a car” (Walker, 1944, p. 316). The description does not only indicate that the characters were living in a poor neighborhood, but also compels the audience to be empathetic to Maggie’s situation. Similarly, the author equates Maggie’s limp hand to a fish, and she tries to pull it back, which is an indication that she is not proud of her physical appearance. Even though it might be possible to consider the narrator’s description of her daughter as harsh, the descriptions compel the audience to sympathize with Maggie, consequently understanding her situation. When making her comparisons about her daughters, the audience is influenced to believe that Dee is luckier than Maggie, a factor that might ensure that the audience understands the position of the characters in their society.
John Updike also uses symbolism and characterization to ensure that the audience can understand the unique development of the character traits of the characters in the story. For instance, Updike describes Sammy, the story’s protagonist, as a well developed character that responds to changes in his life. The other character is Stokesie, whose behavior could be used to describe the character as a conformist. Stokesie represents all the things that Sammy rejects. On the other hand, Updike characterizes Lengel, the manager at the supermarket, as a stereotypical leader that strictly follows predetermined rules (Updike, n.d). Langel’s character is revealed as an individual that does not exercise empathy or personal judgment when making management decisions, which is a factor that makes him Sammy’s antagonist. The characterizations are fundamental to enabling the audience understand and derive meaning in relation the manner in which people live and relate in the society.
Updike also uses imagery to describe the supermarket’s customers. In this light, Sammy refers to the customers as “…sheep pushing their carts down the aisle” (Updike, n.d), to mean that the customers are all the same and nothing makes them different. The author also uses imagery and Sammy’s character to describe the girls in much detail. For instance, in the opening paragraph, the author describes one of the three girls as “…a sweet broad soft-looking can” (Updike, n.d) to provide a physical picture of her. The author uses the descriptions to explain the appearance of the characters. However, the audience can use the imagery to assist in understanding Sammy’s character, which is a provision that could be used to indicate that the three girls introduced at the beginning of the story are stock characters.
In conclusion, it would be vital to restate that the authors use characterization, symbolism, and imagery to promote empathy, understanding, and the meaningfulness of the stories. Walker primarily uses animal images to describe her physical appearance and the appearance of their daughters. Updike uses different descriptions to influence the understanding and derivation of the meaning of the protagonist, characters of leaders in particular settings, and the antagonist. The characterization, images created, and the symbols used in the stories promote influences the understanding of the position of the characters in the society, their possible future, and their desires as individuals.
References
Updike, J. (n.d). A & P. Retrieved from http://www.tiger-town.com/whatnot/updike/
Walker, A. (1944). Everyday Use. Retrieved from: http://faculty.weber.edu/jyoung/english%206710/everyday%20use.pdf
