Jealousy and Ungratefulness Among Siblings in Short Stories

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Short Stories Analysis
Introduction
Alice Walker's Everyday Use, published in 1944, tells a short story about a black family that comprised a mother and Dee and Maggie; the two were sisters whereby the older was Dee. Regarding the story developed by Walker, readers can easily observe that Dee is envious of Maggie, her sister. She is jealous because, according to her, Maggie lives a better and more comfortable lifestyle than she does. On the other hand, the Biblical story, The Prodigal Son, illustrates the son who confronted his father, commanded his inheritance share, and ran away only to exploit and deplete the inheritance leading him to poverty. He almost starved if he did not decide to return to his father, who openly accepted his apologies with open arms. However, this treatment seemed unfair to the lost son's brother. He became jealous and angry with his father for accepting his brother back. The short stories, The Prodigal Son and Everyday Use, comparatively demonstrate the jealousy theme, alongside ingratitude between siblings.
Compare / Contrast the Short Stories
           The two stories illustrate the theme of jealousy uniquely. In Everyday Use, the story shows how the two sisters were jealous of each other. For example, Dee, also known as Wangaroo, feels envious of Maggie as their grandmother makes quilts for the younger sister. The quilt is made from old dresses belonging to the grandmother. Dee does not remember how she received a quilt before going to school; she only feels terrible to see Maggie in a quilt given by the grandmother. Also, Maggie is jealous of her sister and does not like her presence in the house. Despite Dee having friends, Maggie claims that she lacks friends. The author claims, "When did Dee ever have friends (Walker 316)." On the other hand, in The Prodigal Son, jealousy exists between the lost son and his brother. One brother is jealous of the other sibling. The envious results when the brother learns that his father received the brother wholeheartedly despite what he had done initially, including demanding a share of the inheritance, moving to a foreign nation, and squandering all his possessions. Upon returning to his father, he apologized for the behavior. His father accepted the apology, a move that the brother did not like, telling his father that his sibling deserved to be a slave. However, the father organized a welcoming party for the son instead (Batugal 32). This creates more jealousy because the lost son'...