everyday use by alice walker thesis statement

Thesis Statement For Everyday Use- Find out

To acquire an impactful Thesis Statement For Everyday Use, one must comprehend the short story and pinpoint the themes and anthropologies that focus on the African cultural identity and one’s relations with their heritage. 

Everyday Use is a short story written by Alice Walker in 1973. It’s the part of the short story collection known as In Love and Trouble. The short story has been majorly analyzed and studied about African heritage and socio-cultural dynamics of the same.

As Everyday Use presents multiple notions regarding cultural heritage, racial heritage, family values and relationships,  adaptations and accommodations to other cultures ad their assimilation, it presents varying characteristic narratives echoed by the characters present in the story and can provide a different point of view.

Thus, the following are the possible thesis statements for Alice Walker’s Everyday Use:

Decoding the title: how ‘Everyday Use’ represents Alice walker’s narrative

One can put their stance on the significance of the title. As Alice walker portrays the daily lives of people and their relations with cultural and racial identity. Daily tasks such as weaving quilts and the argument of its purpose illustrate different narratives on how cultural identity is perceived with the distinction of how they use their quilts. 

As Maggie and Dee believe the quilt is used for providing warmth and comfort and they revel in the craftsmanship of it which is passed down from generation to generation and thus builds a cultural connection and community while Dee believes its purpose is to be showcased as an aesthetic and a label of what her cultural and racial identity is. One can consider the usefulness according to DEE and others and the contrast of such ideals.

The symbolism of the quilt portrayed by Alice walker

The quilt is the symbol of how cultural and racial antiquities are perceived. Walker illustrates its materialistic properties on how performative activism is rendered to physical efforts and not reaching the community to an interpersonal level to bring racial and cultural acceptance.

As Dee aspires to make it her showpiece for her aesthetic, she still questions its usefulness. The contrast acceptance of antiquities can be depicted in modern activism ( the political appropriation of Kente cloth in 2020, and the usage of black squares on Blackout Tuesday ).

Whereas Mama and Maggie view the quilt at a grounder level and its practicality with the communal harmony of passing its weaving technique from generation to generation which adheres to connecting their cultural identity.

The differing weightage regarding family relationships and cultural and racial heritage 

Alice Walker illustrates the Johnson family as a weighing scale. The daughters are the weights with differing opinions and attitudes, tilting the household ideals while Mama is the mediator. Maggie is closer to her mother, and values her ancestors and cultural values, and is depicted to have more knowledge of the same. As she’s capable of weaving a quilt, she is familiar with the cultural technique. Yet she’s not sufficiently educated on the matters of knowing the theory of her racial and cultural identity. Whereas Dee is incapable of connecting herself with her culture and family on an interpersonal level. She values the quilt as a materialistic show piece of her cultural identity and not as the symbol of community and its purpose beyond just a show piece for visual aesthetics. Even though she’s educated enough to distinguish her identities, her superficiality disbars her to practice the same rightfully.

The racial difference in rural and urban society

as ‘everyday use’ discusses how racism and its issues are discussed in the varied settings of both urban and rural societies, it depicts how the rural society might be nonchalant and indifferent towards this issue. Mama and Maggie aren’t particularly geared towards equality and racism as they don’t have the sufficient education or idealism to come to a stance. 

Whereas Dee is educated significantly enough to explore the idea of racial equality and racism, with her ideals of cultural aesthetics and her notions of progressing her identity clashes with her family’s. as Dee dons her cultural name Wangero While the Johnsons appear to be attached to their westernized name which gives insight to their differing opinions.

Dee’s possible relation with the burned-down house

Many critics have entertained the possibility of how Dee’s hatred for their previous house might have a possible connection with its fire arson that led to her sister being scarred for life. As Mama has hinted strongly and frequently enough about Dee’s hatred for the burned-down house. As recounting the experience as her of standing and watching it been to the round with a cold stare.

There is a requirement for more evidence to claim this thesis statement, with a character analysis of Dee one can show her self-centered she is. One can entertain both possibilities of whether she was the one who burned down the house or not. With only first-person narration provided, one should go through more plot analysis to thoroughly present thuds thesis.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is written as the conclusion of the introduction to a study or research. It consists of the main point of the essay or research paper. There are two types of thesis statements, direct and indirect: the direct thesis statements reason for their thesis in elaboration while the indirect thesis does not. The thesis statement then directs the remaining parts of a research paper, with body, conclusion and references and completes the whole layout.

How to write an impactful thesis statement?

One could make an intriguing thesis statement regarding what their claim is, it should be clear and concise with a direct narrative. It should be a complex statement unfamiliar and unique to general knowledge and backed with sufficient data. In the case of argumentative research study, unpopular thesis statement proves to be stronger thesis statements.

Conclusion 

In regards to Alice Walker’s Everyday Use, it’s important to highlight the major insights that provide the base, argument, research evidence, and satisfactory conclusion for your thesis statement. A reader should get a clear idea of what you’ve interpreted and analyzed from the story and what stands your claim with your thesis statement and provide a succinct message to your evaluators or readers.

Finally, as a researcher, you should have the qualitative experience and knowledge of thesis statement preparation and provision for the same.

Frequently Asked Questions 

• What’s the need for Thesis Statement?

The significance of the thesis statement is embedded in research papers or studies due to its writing direction and focus. It provides the main general idea of a paper and gives a clear summary or gist of the main theme of the paper.

• How to come up with a thesis statement?

you need to be clear about your research topic and familiar with it, to the point you can base necessary questions on it. Then, you need to come up with the main answer for your question and base your thesis statement around it.

• How do differentiate the thesis statement from the introduction?

To not amalgamate your introduction and thesis statement altogether, you need to place your thesis statement at the end of the introduction with distinct paragraph spacing as a conclusion to your introduction.