I.

a.  Alice Walker’s short story, “Everyday Use” illustrates this concept through the characters and plot. 

            b.

c.  W.E.B Dubois’ theory of double consciousness refers to the awareness of the “two-ness” of being “an American and an African-American,” and the “largely unconscious, almost instinctive movement between these two identities.” (The Veil and Double Consciousness by W.E.B Dubois, page 2) 

            d. In this story, a mother and her youngest daughter, Maggie live together in a rather run-down old house in the southern countryside. They are visited by the other daughter, Dee, who has gone off to college in the city.

            e. Dee’s ignorance of her adopted African heritage is matched by her ignorance of her actual American heritage. 

II.

a.     When Dee (Wangero) says “I couldn’t bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me,” she is actually blaming her ancestors for their enslavement, which is incredibly ironic.

b.      She was named Dee after her aunt Dee, who was named after her grandmother.

c.      She knew she had been named for her Aunt Dee, but was unaware of how far back the name went in her family."

(Everyday Use: Defining African American Heritage by David White)

d.     It is as if she has unconsciously convinced herself that being an    ancestor of slaves is something to be embarrassed about. She is ashamed to be descended from them because this idea of ‘double consciousness’ has sunk in so deeply. 

e.     The logic behind Dee’s name change is that the name ‘Dee’ was a name given to her grandmother by the slave owners and so a name from before their enslavement is better. However, the name she chose is a poor choice.

Every Day Use Quotes

NAMES—defining one’s self, naming one’s self--IDENTITY

IDEA of OPPRESSION—who is oppressing who?

1.) “Well,” I say. “Dee.”

“No, Mama,” she says. “Not ‘Dee,’ Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo!”

“What happened to ‘Dee’?” I wanted to know.

“She’s dead,” Wangero said. “I couldn’t bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me.”

2.) "'Take one or two of the others,' I said to Dee." –first time she calls her Dee instead of Wangero.

3.) “She washed us in a river of make-believe, burned us with knowledge we didn’t necessarily need to know. Pressed us to her with the serious way she read, to shove us away at just the moment, like dimwits, we seemed about to understand.” –dee is oppressing her family!


4.) quote showing the narrator's thoughts about the new name or something Dee says

Secondary Sources

1.) "In researching the name Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo, Helga Hoel found that the names Wangero and Kemanjo are misspellings of Kikiyu names ‘Wanjiro’ and ‘Kamenjo’. Leewanika is an African name, but it is not Kikiyu. Hoel also found that Dee’s dress is of West African origin (The Kikiyu are East African)." 
(Everyday Use: Defining African American Heritage by David White)

This explains how ignorant Dee is about every aspect of her heritage. She is a POSER.

2.) "Dee’s ignorance of her adopted African heritage is matched by her ignorance of her actual American heritage. She knew she had been named for her Aunt Dee, but was unaware of how far back the name went in her family."
(Everyday Use: Defining African American Heritage by David White)

3.)"Double consciousness is the awareness of the 'two-ness' of being 'an American and an African American,' and the largely unconscious, almost instinctive movement between these two identities, as needed." 


4.) "In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost. He would not Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa." - The Souls of Black Folk pg 39

5.) Wangero proclaims a deplorable degree of alienation from her rural origins and family. The visitor who reproaches others for an ignorance of their own heritage is herself almost completely disconnected from a nurturing tradition." - Heritage and deracination in Walker's Everyday Use pg 172