Comparison of Dee and Maggie from "Everyday Use"
...pumps to match a green suit she’d made from an old suit somebody gave me. She is determined to stare down any disaster in her efforts. Her eyelids would not flicker for minutes at a time” (90-91). In this story Mrs. Johnson attempts to label Dee as a snobby, selfish girl who has never been told the word “no.” In contrast, Maggie is a quiet, easy-going girl. Mrs. Johnson explains, “Have you ever seen a lame animal, perhaps a dog run over by some careless person rich enough to own a car, sidle up to someone who is ignorant enough to be kind to him? That is the way my Maggie walks” (90). By the statement, “I can ‘member Grandma Dee without the quilts” (91), it shows that Maggie feels that the quilts are not worth the trouble of arguing over. Therefore, Maggie seems to be a peacemaker. The second major difference that is really apparent is the difference in Dee and Maggie’s outer appearance. Dee is a well-educated, neatly dressed young lady. Mrs. Johnson states, “Dee is lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and a fuller figure” (90). We are informed by the story that Dee is much prettier and has style. Johnson describes, “Her feet were always neat-looking, as if God himself had shaped them with a certain style” (91). The long colorful dress and all the dangling bracelets inform us that Dee has style and fashion. On the other hand, Maggie is opposite. Maggie seems to be a plain, laid-back girl with no self-esteem. The narrator explains how “she will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eying her sister with a mixture of envy and awe” (89). From this statement we can recognize Maggie as a homely girl who envies her sister for being so pretty and getting everything she wants. Maggie’s burns and scars bring a pitiful look, making her less pretty. Mother Johnson also informs us that Maggie is not very bright: “Like good looks and money, quickness passed her by” (91). The third major difference in the two sisters is the way Dee and Maggie view their heritage. Dee explains, “I can use the churn top as a centerpiece for the alcove table” (93). Dee’s desire to use the butter churn as a decorative centerpiece, hang up her grandmother’s quilts, and ch...