Everyday Use and A Rose for Emily

Compare and Contrast
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Compare and Contrast
Focusing on specific story elements (such as theme, plot, setting, character, symbols, point-of-view, etc.), compare/contrast the characters in Everyday Use and A Rose for Emily.
Everyday Use by Alice Walker and A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner are two intriguing stories. In her story, Walker tries to showcase the continuity of traditions through the daily application of certain values. Everyday Use is a story that uses quilts to share a theme of heritage. The story builds itself through its three main characters, namely Maggie, Dee (Wangero), and their mother, the narrator. Aside from heritage, the story also addresses the theme of change and how it can at times be misconstrued. In his story, Faulkner uses a single character to develop his story and highlight the themes in it. A Rose for Emily also touches on the theme of heritage as well as change. However, unlike Everyday Use, A Rose for Emily considers the maintenance of a heritage that is already past its time. Additionally, it furthers the theme of change by showcasing its importance in the face of maintaining one’s heritage. As already showcased, the two stories approach these two themes differently. The characters of the two stories also varyingly help to showcase the significance of heritage and change. Faulkner and Walker both appear to showcase the themes of heritage and change; however, both appear to take different approaches.
While reading both texts, one realizes that both authors express the importance of maintaining one’s heritage in the face of change. In Walker’s Everyday Use, through the narrator and Maggie, one is reminded of the significance of maintaining and passing on one’s heritage. As the narrator describes herself, one quickly understands that she does not have an education. However, it is clear that she is connected with her past. At one point, she notes “some of the pieces, like those lavender ones, come from old clothes her mother handed down to her” (Walker, 1973, 5). Here, she is acknowledging the sentimental significance of a quilt by explaining its origin to her daughter Dee (Wangero). In another instance, while describing the dasher, one also feels the connection the narrator has with her past. “In fact, there were a lot of small sinks; 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” (Walker, 1973, 5). From this, one notices how connected she was with her past and her people’s heritage. However, Dee appears clueless and out of touch with her past and heritage. From the way she speaks to her clothes to her boyfriend, Dee showcases change. However, this ch...