Lesson 4 Everyday Use 2 About Alice Walker and her workslAlice Walker (1944- ), poet, novelist and essayist.lone of the most prominent writers in American literature and a most forceful representative of women’s literature and black literature. 3About Alice WalkerlShe was born into a poor rural family in Georgia, as the eighth child of sharecropper 交租耕种农parents. She grew up in the midst of violent racism and poverty which influence her later writings.lWhen she went to Sarah Lawrence College in New York on scholarships in the early 60’s, the civil rights movement was in full swing. She was actively involved in the movement. She graduated in 1965, having the BA. 4About Alice WalkerlAfter her junior year at the college, she won a scholarship as an exchange student to Uganda, and Kenya. This most probably helped her to understand the African culture.lAfter experiencing the political movement she became a teacher of creative writing and black literature, lecturing at Jackson State College, Yale and university of California at Berkeley. 5About Alice WalkerHer works: lThe Third Life of Grange Copeland (1970); lMeridian (1976); lIn Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women (1973); lThe Temple of My Familiar (1989); lThe Color Purple (1982) 6About Alice WalkerlA theme throughout Walker's work is the preservation of black culture or “heritage〞, and her women characters forge important links to maintain continuity in both personal relationships and communities.lWalker‘s women characters display strength, endurance, and resourcefulness机敏 in confronting — and overcoming — oppression (racism and sexism) in their lives. l"Black women are called the 'mule of the world,' because they have been handed the burdens that everyone else refused to carry" ---Alice Walker I. Background1. Alice Walker’s Early Life Date of Birth: February 9, 1944Birthplace: Eatonton, Georgia Parents:Willie Lee and Minnie Lou Grant Walker, who were sharecroppers Marriage: Mel Leventhal, a Jewish Civil Rights activist/ lawyer Child:Rebecca born in 19692. Education: 1961-1963Spelman, a college for black women in Atlanta1963-1965BA from Sarah Lawrence College in New York (once traveled to Africa as an exchange student) I. Background 3. Career1983 received the Pulitzer Prize for The Color Purple (1982)1984 started her own publishing company, Wild Trees Press4. Points of ViewFthe Civil Rights Movement Fthe Women's MovementFthe Anti-apartheid Movement The Color PurpleBased on Alice Walkers Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple is the richly textured不平的, decades-spanning story of Celie, an uneducated woman living in the rural American south. Forced to marry a brutal man she calls “Mr.,〞 Celie turns inward and shares her grief only with God. But she is transformed by the friendship of two remarkable women, acquiring self-worth... and the strength to forgive. The film launched the Hollywood careers of Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey and gleaned 拾11 Oscar nominations including Best Picture. II. Discourse AnalysisElements of NarrativeTime: unknownVenue:HomeCharacters:“I〞〞, Maggie, Dee (Wangero)Asalamalakim, Big Dee, Grandma DeePlot:Maggie and I are ready to have Dee backThe Relationship between Dee and IThe Contrast between Dee and MaggieThe Climax: Grandma’s QuiltsTheme:The Heirloom – Quilts: Display VS Everyday Use II. Discourse AnalysisStructurePara 1 – 2:Maggie and I Are waiting for Someone ImportantPara 3 – 16:The Relationship among Dee, Maggie and “I〞〞“I〞〞: a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands Dee: “No〞〞 is a word the world never learned to say to herMaggie: a homely, weak and shy girlPara 17 – 82 Meeting with Dee Para 17 - 20Dee came with her new boyfriend and new name Para 21 - 43The Name: Dee Para 44 - 82The Argument on Grandma’s Quilts SettinglEveryday Use〞 is set in the late ‘60s or early ‘70s. This was a time when African-Americans were struggling to define their personal identities in cultural terms. The term “Negro〞 had been recently removed from the vocabulary, and had been replaced with “Black.〞 lThere was “Black Power,〞 “Black Nationalism,〞 and “Black Pride.〞 Many blacks wanted to rediscover their African roots, and were ready to reject and deny their American heritage, which was filled with stories of pain and injustice. SettinglIn “Everyday Use,〞 Alice Walker argues that an African-American is both African and American, and to deny the American side of one’s heritage is disrespectful of one’s ancestors and, consequently, harmful to one’s self. She uses the principal characters of Mama, Dee (Wangero), and Maggie to clarify this theme. Plot At the first, mother and Maggie are preparing of receiving Dee, the other daughter of the heroine. And from the preparation they made we can see that the relationship between Mother and Dee is alienated疏远的疏远的; the relationship between the two sisters is unfriendly and tense.Then the author made some description about the three characters, especially about mother and Dee. Then Dee and her boyfriend’s come, and she changed her name, and there is some information about her boyfriend. And at last she point out that she want the quilt that grandma left to Maggie At last Dee leaves without the quilt, and when she leave both mother and Maggie feel relieved. ThemelIn “Everyday Use〞 Alice Walker reveals a conflict between a mother, Mrs. Johnson, and her two daughters. The author also shows a unique heritage of African-Americans. The central theme of the story is the way in which family members of the same African American family honor their heritage. Point of ViewlIn this short story, the author uses the first person point of view. Here mother is the story teller, and she makes very vivid description of herself and her two daughters, Dee and Maggie. CharacterizationlMama is an uneducated, yet practical character. Mama loves and respects her ancestors, as is understood in her description and treatment of the quilts: "They had been pieced together by Grandma Dee and then Big Dee and me had hung them on the quilt frames on the front porch and quilted them... in both of them were Grandpa Jarrell's paisley shirts. And one teeny faded blue piece... that was from Great Grandpa Ezra's uniform that he wore in the Civil War" The quilts are important to Mama as a direct connection between herself and those before her. lWalker also uses the butter churn as a source for Mama's inherent understanding of heritage: "I took it for a moment in my hands... you could see where thumbs and fingers had sunk into the wood. It was beautiful light yellow wood, from a tree that grew in the yard where Big Dee and Stash had lived" As White explains, "When Mama takes the dasher handle in her hands, she is symbolically touching the hands of all those who used it before her." Her practical nature and appreciation for heritage distinguishes her from her two daughters, and represents the complex, historical importance of the African-American culture. DeeDee is a selfish and egotistical character with a superficial understanding of her inheritance. She characterizes the confusion and misguidance of young African Americans in the late 60s and 70s. This is apparent in her interactions with her mother and sister. As Sexton notes, Dee “considers herself as cultured, and beyond the abased卑微的 quality of the lives lived by her mother and sister"). She makes her feelings clear when she attempts to "take" the quilts Mama had promised to Maggie: "Maggie can't appreciate these quilts... she'd probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use". lNot only is she conforming to the worst of American ideals, but she is rejecting and disrespecting her own cultural heritage-- all under the pretenses of preserving it. It is in this sense that she is the "embodiment of the struggle for a unifying identity," because she has not yet come to understand her place in society as both an African and an American. MaggielMaggie is a simplistic and good-hearted person. She understands the true meaning of heritage. Just as her sister asserts, Maggie is "backward enough" to put the quilts to everyday use. But what Dee fails to recognize is that in doing so Maggie is preserving the ancestral importance of the quilts-- that is, utilitarian necessity. lWalker reinforces the cultural significance of Maggie‘s character when Mama refuses to allow Dee to have her way: “I did something that I never had done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragger her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero’s [Dee‘s] hands and dumped them into Maggie’s lap〞 This is, as Baker and Pierce-Baker indicated, her mother‘s “conferral of an ancestral blessing〞 (164). Maggie wants to maintain a lasting connection with her heritage, and both Mama and the reader recognize this. She represents those among the African-American community that seek to pass on their heritage without diminution减少 between generations. 23Cultural ContextlBlack Power MovementlAlice Walker’s answer in Everyday Use 24 Black Power MovementlThe movement for Black Power in the U.S. came during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. lThis was a time when African-Americans were struggling to define their personal identities in cultural terms. African Americans were trying to gain racial equality and called for self-determination and racial dignity. 25lThey were seeking their cultural roots in Africa, the slogan ’Black is beautiful’ and a renewal of interest and pride in African heritage arose. Many blacks wanted to rediscover their African roots, and were ready to reject and deny their American heritage, which was filled with stories of pain and injustice. 26Alice Walker’s answer in Everyday Use -- challenges the Black Power movement, and black people in general, to acknowledge and respect their American heritage. The history of Africans in America is filled with stories of pain, injustice, and humiliation. It is not as pleasing as a colorful African heritage that can be fabricated. It is a real heritage that is comprised of real people: people who are deserving of respect and admiration. 27l--shows that culture is neither name changes nor speaking a foreign tongue. One’s culture and heritage are taught, from one generation to the next, not suddenly picked up or acquired. A person who possesses real heritage and culture make use of it every day of their life. 28Text analysis (Para.3-4)lThese programs: National Broadcasting Company (NBC) ‘s television show “This is Your Life,〞〞 with Ralph Edwards as producer and master of ceremonies, in which people were publicly and tearfully reunited with friends, relatives, and teachers they had not seen in years. The program aired from 1952 to 1961 and 1970 to 1973. 29lJohnny Carson: Johnny Carson, [in full John William Carson] (born Oct. 23, 1925, Corning, Iowa, U.S.—died Jan. 23, 2005, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. television personality. He worked as a radio announcer and television comedy writer before hosting several television quiz shows (1955–62). As the long-standing host of The Tonight Show (1962–92), he was noted for his wry 幽默的monologues, comedy sketches, and genial 可亲的banter轻松的谈话, and the program became a staple for a large and faithful late-night audience. Johnny Carson The Tonight Show has a long, successful history - and it shows no signs of cooling off. It started its run almost 50 years ago, back in 1954. Steve Allen was the first host. He was succeeded by Jack Paar in 1957, and Johnny Carson took over the reins in 1962. Johnny was the "King of Late Night" for 30 years, until he retired in 1992. Jay Leno has been the host since then. Over three million people have sat in the studio audience and enjoyed the show. 31Black MuslimslBlack Muslims is a widely used name for the adherents of an American black nationalist religious movement.lThe religious organization was founded in Detroit, Michigan, in 1930 by Wallace Fard. Fard argued that African Americans could obtain success through discipline, racial pride, knowledge of God, and physical separation from white society. ldoctrines: black self reliance and separation from the white society, even economically. 32 --He says that he accepts the doctrines of Mama’s Muslim neighbors – but he doesn’t like the hard work of their everyday life. --He says that he does not eat collard greens and pork—traditional African-American foods –he symbolically denies his heritage despite his complicated African name. This superficiality, on the part of both Dee and Hakim-a-barber, is representative of the many blacks who jumped on the Black Power bandwagon with no real dedication to its root causes. pigtail & ponytail Model A car:lin 1909 Henry Ford mass-produced 15 million Model T cars and thus made automobiles popular in the States. In 1928 the Model T was discontinued and replaced by a new design - the Model A - to meet the needs for growing competition in car manufacturing.Here he thinks she is quaint奇怪的, attractive because it is strange and something rather old fashioned Ford’s Model-T Ford’s Model-A 37Symbolism and Characterization in “Everyday Use〞〞 l“Everyday Use〞 is a poignant 深刻的narrative that describes the relationship between family members through creative symbolism and fine characterization.lThrough symbolism and characterization, Walker teaches a moral lesson about heritage, identity, and the role of the two in the lives of the characters and audience. The story asserts that family history should be a part of everyday life. 38SymbolismlSymbolism, the association of a meaning or theme to an item, is used in this novel to give their reader a greater understanding of each characters inner thoughts. Walker linked these characters with the following symbols: 39lOf all of the symbols in the story, no one image is as strong as that of the quilts: lQuiltslThe symbolism of the quilt conveys that the most genuine means of celebrating one’s culture is to practice its ideals on a daily basis rather than to admire its relics for aesthetic appeal.lchurn top and dasher 40lhouse As the house burns, each character's position around the house directly related to how they feel about their family background. Maggie felt that the house was a part of her. For Maggie, the house held memories of her and her family. As her dress fell off "her in little black papery flakes" in the fire, parts of her were lost with the house. Dee, on the other hand, was far from the house, steadily concentrating on the burning house until it was completely destroyed. Dee did not desire to be associated with her family, like she did not want to be associated with the house. 41lMaggie’s scars are symbolic of the scars that all African-Americans carry as a result of the “fire〞 of slavery.lHakim-a barber is important to the story as a symbol of the new life that Dee has chosen. 42l“ She [Dee] pins on my dress a large orchid, even though she has told me once that she thinks orchids are tacky flowers〞 (2377). It is interesting that by presenting Dee’s fraudulent 欺骗的 nature through the symbolism of the orchid pinning, she says nothing about refusing the flower. 43CharacterlRound characterlRound characters embody a number of qualities and traits, and are complex multidimensional characters with the capacity to grow and change. They have more depth and require more attention.lFlat characterlFlat characters are those who embody or represent a single characteristic, trait, or idea or at most a very limited number of such qualities. Flat characters usually play a minor role in the stories in which they appear. 44lDynamic characterlDynamic characters exhibit some kind of change as the story progresseslStatic characterlStatic characters remain the same from the beginning of a work to the end. 45Characters in Everyday Use:l1) Dee — a round characterl—fashionable, rebellious, strong-minded and ill-temped, a sense of vanityl— a symbol of the modern black womenl— superficial love of black tradition 46l2) Maggie — a flat characterl— docile, timid, shy, good-temped, kind- hearted and unselfish, a strong sense of inferiorityl— inherence of black culture, genuine love of black traditionl— a symbol of the tradition black weak women 47l3) “I〞 — a flat characterl— uneducated but sensiblel— physically strong but spiritually weak, l a sense of inferiorityl— cherish “grandma’s everyday use〞l— a symbol of the black working women:l the majority of black women V. Rhetorical Devices1.Simile：a figure of speech which makes a comparison between two different things but having quality or characteristic in common. To make the comparison, words like as, as...as, as if and like are used to transfer the quality we associate with one to the other. lI am the way my daughter would want me to be:.. my skin like an uncooked barley pancake.lMaggie’s brain is like an elephant’s.lWangero said, sweet as a bird.lShe gasped like a bee had stung her2.Ellipsis : a figure of speech which omits commonly used words or phrases.lDee, though.lDee, next. V. Rhetorical DeviceslMetaphor: e.g. Wangero sent eye signals over my headlMetonymy: Out she peeks next with a Polaroid.lIrony: “What don’t I understand?〞 I wanted to know. “Your heritage,〞 she said.lOnomatopoeia: Like when you see the wriggling end of a snake just in front of your foot on the road, “Uhnnnh〞. Dee 叛逆者bright, confident ,smart ，beautiful, well-educated likes to produce herselfMother 保卫者 physical strength, mental toughness,the good-hearted, down-to-earthMaggie继承者 lack of self-confidence, shy ,conservative , inheriting Africa American culture Mother seems to range between them, both Maggie’s conservative, and quiet side and Dee’s independence, strong side. 1、、Meet again2、、Take photos3、、Discussion about name4、、have dinner5、、Everyday useMaggieDee and mother ◆Maggie loves her family and knows about its history and traditions, she can tell the names of her ancestors by heart and knows about their history. ☆ "Aunt Dee's first husband whittled the dash," said Maggie so low you almost couldn't hear her. "His name was Henry, but they called him Stash." 也许麦姬根本就不知道民族文化遗产为何也许麦姬根本就不知道民族文化遗产为何物，其价值何在，但家族历史和家人的事迹牢物，其价值何在，但家族历史和家人的事迹牢牢地印在她的脑海中，被她重新赋予了生命。
牢地印在她的脑海中，被她重新赋予了生命 Mother和Maggie都在逃离白人文化，她们似乎会永远“龟缩〞在伤痛的过去而不敢面对未来Walker在这里指出了一个所有非裔美国人必须扪心自问的问题：我是与我的人民一起“龟缩〞在令人伤痛的过去，还是挺身与我的压迫者争夺未来相反，Dee不满足固步自封的状态，她是在白人世界中成长起来的黑人，但很难“长成〞白人，也不可能成为“自然的黑人〞 ◆Why did Dee come back? Because it is “a new day〞 for the blacks now and as it becomes fashionable in the Black Power Movement to return to one’s roots, it suddenly becomes fashionable for Dee, too. Influenced by the Black Power Movement, Dee got interested in her own culture. B、、DeeReally interested? ◆◆Dee’s misunderstandings towards Afro-Americanism〔不了解自己真正的文化〔不了解自己真正的文化,盲目浅薄地寻根盲目浅薄地寻根追赶潮流的表现〕追赶潮流的表现〕 uA dress down to the ground…yellows and oranges … uEarrings gold…uBracelets dangling and making noises …uHair stands straight up …Dee cares much about the outer appearance ：：(1) 、clothes 鲜艳的宽松长裙，大大的金色耳环和叮当作响的手镯，直挺挺的黑发，殊不知这种夸大炫耀与大多数黑人平和、谦逊、低调、不喜张扬的品质恰好相反。
在这炎热的天气，她以一种自认为很非洲的传统造型出现在家人面前： She said the language of the East Africa “wa-su-so-tean-o〞 to her mother, knowing little that they came to America from West Africa. (2)、language"Wa-su-zo-Tean-o!" she says, coming on in that gliding way the dress makes her move. 用非洲语言问候母亲说明她已经放弃美国黑人文化 ☆ 〔1〕、"Don't get up," says Dee. ☆ 〔2〕、She stoops … in front of the house … She never takes a shot without … the house is included. When a cow comes …she snaps … and the house…and comes up and kisses me on the forehead.☆☆ 2、、photo ◆What does Dee photo for？ She merely wants to come home to collect some pieces of family history she can superficially identify with, take some photos as a kind of proof and leave. ☆☆ 3、、NameMrs. Johnson has a short kind of discussion with Dee and her boyfriend about her new name .◆ Name = ？root 和identity ◆ Dee’s original name has already been carried by several generations of female ancestors, which can be traced back beyond the Civil War, the new African name is not related to her personal history at all and dissociates her from her family and therefore from her true heritage. 〔2〕“ She‘s dead, 〞 Wangero said. “ I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who me. 〞 (1)“ Not ‘Dee’, Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo! 〞 oppress Now she neither belongs to her family anymore nor to her newly created identity. Not only was her search for a new heritage in vain, she also lost her real roots. This feeling is typical of the blacks of that time. 她认为迪伊这个名字是压迫他们的白人给的，但是实际上这个代代相传的名字正是寄托了祖母对于后代传承文化的期望，已经在某种意义上成为家族的文化遗产，新的名字才与她真的毫无关联，使她与黑人文化脱节。
◆What kind of situation was Dee in? 〔3〕“ But who was she named after? 〞 asked Wangero〔4〕“ And who was she named after? 〞 asked Wangero…〔5〕Wangero was getting tired… "That's about as far back as I can trace it," I said. Though, in fact, I probably could have carried it back beyond the Civil War through the branches."Well," said Asalamalakim, "there you are."不清楚不清楚 来历来历 冷漠无知冷漠无知(……)self-indulgence 自我放纵、selfish patient、 tolerant 〔7〕Every once in a while he and Wangero sent eye signals over my head… (8)“You don‘t have to call me by it if you don’t want to,〞 … (9)"I know it might sound awkward at first, " … "I'll get used to it," I said. "Ream it out again."①attitude—— superior◆ Is it a kind of compromise ? If is, why did they both compromise? (……)②purpose——heritage③love——tolerant and understanding Dee 那么成了黑人权利运动的象征,复古寻根非洲文化的先锋。
其最大特点是摒弃美国黑人的文化传统,寻根于非洲文化她对家中一切物件的来历远不及Maggie 清楚,说明对美国黑人文化传统的漠然与无知◆⑹◆⑹"I can use the churn top as a centerpiece for the alcove table,〞〞… "and I'll think of something artistic to do with the dasher."Dee的举动只是一种对黑人文化浮光掠影、粗浅庸俗的理解，她只对文化的象征物品感兴趣，以为搜罗一些艺术品就是回归文化，以为这样就可以赶上时尚的潮流，她并不清楚这些物品蕴藏着厚重的文化历史内涵，而且它们也不能引起她感情上的共鸣Didn’t evoke her respect and understanding ◆⑸◆⑸"Uncle Buddy whittle that, too?" ①、 Following the “fashion〞 of the movement, she intangibly 〔无形的/模糊的〕and surprisingly found the “value〞 of her family. ◆Is Dee a real defender for Black Power ?②、She seemingly goes with the flow and is very much into the ideas of the Black Power movement. However, despite her good education she is unable to see the value of her most important roots – her American roots. 虽然虽然Dee声称自己在寻找民族文化之根，事实上她声称自己在寻找民族文化之根，事实上她的做法却事与愿违，她以一种局外人的态度来欣赏本来的做法却事与愿违，她以一种局外人的态度来欣赏本来应该属于自己民族文化遗产的东西。
在追逐强势文化放应该属于自己民族文化遗产的东西在追逐强势文化放弃弱势文化本位的过程中迷失了自己以及对自己精神的弃弱势文化本位的过程中迷失了自己以及对自己精神的放逐 她只是靠近了文化的外表，但却远她只是靠近了文化的外表，但却远 离了黑人文化的离了黑人文化的根基，同时也背离了历史传统和遗产她根基，同时也背离了历史传统和遗产她 一次充当一次充当了黑人文化的叛逆者了黑人文化的叛逆者 又③、It is a pity that Dee only formed a shallow view on her culture. Neglecting the history and the love of the everyday use, she just wanted to keep them as ornaments to make a parade〔展示〕. 知识回忆知识回忆Knowledge Knowledge ReviewReview祝您成功！ 。