1. Deborah Fadoju
Jabari Julien
Ebony Richardson
La'Vonne Tynes

2. Alice Walker suggests that going to college
has a dramatic effect on an individual's
mindset and values, which may ultimately
come into conflict with those of his or her
family.

3. The author shifts the tone of the story from affection to
condescension.
Affection Condescension/Resentment
"Sometimes I dream a dream in
which Dee and I are suddenly  Dee begins to look down upon
brought together on a TV her family and is embarrassed
program of this sort…Then we by them
are on the stage and Dee is
embracing me with tears in
her eyes” (313 Walker)  Maggie and Mama show
dissatisfaction towards Dee’s
It is as if Mama admires her new attitude
privileged daughter, but this
affectionate tone soon shifts. • Maggie refuses to interact with Dee
Their changes in attitude render it impossible for them
to connect as they once could.

4.  Collegeinstills in Dee an alternate set of
values that conflict with her family’s.
• Dee’s education leads her to misunderstand the
true importance of the quilt, further dividing her
from her family.
• Upon returning from college, Dee’s notion of
beauty becomes increasingly different from that of
her mother’s.

5. EARLY DEVELOPMENT MATURATION
 Psychologist Sanjeev Himachali explains  An article written by psychologist Dr.
that an individual's childhood plays a Vijai Sharma explains that leaving for
large factor on that individual's personality college is a major step towards
(Himachali). complete independence for young
adults, and a process which may
• There are specific environmental "loosen child-parent ties" (Sharma).
factors that have impact, and
includes the financial status of the  Without the guidance of her mother,
family as a key factor during Dee is easily influenced by her
childhood that may affect classmates and instructors.
personality. Similarly, Dee saw her
upbringing as low and unfortunate
which played a factor into her
arrogant personality.

6. The quilt includes clothes that during the Civil War. Because Walker
includes Civil War memorabilia, it offers context to the African American
struggle, thus adding importance to the quilt ("The Civil War"). The quilt
additionally adds to the idea of creative activities women came up with
to pass down history from generation to generation ("The Civil War").
 The historical significance of quilts is
pertinent to understanding the central
conflict between Dee and her family. The
quilt itself is a very meaningful item in the
sense that it holds a piece of history.

7. Opposers argue that college was not the reason for
Dee’s change because the differences were apparent
before her departure to college.
• When their house burned down, rather than Dee expressing some sort of emotion or reaction
to the incident, she stood under the sweet gum tree and watched everything happen. Her
mother even states, “She had hated the house so much” (312 Walker).
• Dee's mother only had a second grade education. It was noted that Dee would read to her
mother and sister with a hidden ignorance. Dee’s mother felt as if Dee treated them “like
dimwits, we seemed about to understand” (312 Walker).
Rebuttal :
Education magnified the differences between Dee and her family. Prior to college it
was clear that she didn't appreciate her family, but on her return from college what
was once mere feelings of distance became declarative insults.
• Upon hearing that Maggie was promised the quilt, she quickly retorted, “Maggie…probably be
backward enough to put them in everyday use” (378 Walker).
• Dee claims that Maggie's brain was like an elephant because she did not think (377 Walker).

8. The conflict between the characters depict the
meaning of the work which is that education offers
new perspectives, but a true understanding of
heritage is in the knowledge of its usefulness as well
as its personal significance.
• Utilizing the historical perspective adds a greater significance
to the central dispute over the Civil War embossed quilt.
•A psychological outlook reveals that Dee's separation from
her family for extended periods of time leaves Dee to mature
into womanhood while forming her identity in solitude.

9. Himachali, Sanjeev. "Impact of your Childhood on Your
Personality. CiteHR ." CiteHR Human Resource
Management Community Knowledgebase. N.p., n.d.
Web. 8 Apr. 2013. http://www.citehr.com/30691-impact-
your-childhood-your-personality.html.
"The Civil War." African American Odyssey: (Part 1). The
Library of Congress, 21 Mar. 2008. Web. 07
Apr. 2013.http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/
aopart4.html.
Walker, Alice, and Barbara Christian. Everyday use. New
Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press, 1994. Print.