Dee

Dee is a secondary character in the short story “Everyday Use.”

Outer characterization

Dee’s outer characterization is constructed through Mama’s description of her. She is one of Mama’s daughters – although her specific age remains unknown, she is an adult African-American woman: “Dee is lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and a fuller figure. She is a woman now, though sometimes I forget.” (ll. 49-50).

Dee went to school in Augusta (l. 59) and is college-educated (ll. 232-233). She is now possibly married to the man who accompanies her to her mother’s house, Hakim-a-Barber: “(They didn’t tell me, and I didn’t ask, whether Wangero (Dee) had really gone and married him.)” (ll. 170-171).

Dee wears a colorful dress which resembles traditional African dresses and has styled her hair into an Afro, which reflects her interest and pride in her African heritage:

Dee next. A dress down to the ground, in this hot weather. A dress so loud it hurts my eyes. There are yellows and oranges enough to throw back the light of the sun. I feel my whole face warming from the heat waves it throws out. Earrings gold, too, and hanging down to her shoulders. Bracelets dangling and making noises when she moves her arm up to shake the folds of the dress out of her armpits. The dress is loose and flows, and as she walks closer, I like it. I hear Maggie go ‘Uhnnnh’ again. It is her sister's hair. It stands straight up like the wool on a sheep. It is black as night and around the edges are two long pigtails that rope about like small lizards disappearing behind her ears. (ll. 107-115)

Inner characterization

Dee’s inner characterization is constructed through Mama’s perspective, as well as Dee’s language, her attitude, and her actions.

Dee’s personality and relationship with her family

Dee’s relationship with her family appears to have always been tense, even in Dee’s childhood. This seems to originate from her determined attitude to escape poverty but also from her critical attitude towards her family’s heritage, poverty, and ignorance. Keep in mind, however, that we never learn how Dee actually felt about her family, as Mama only provides an interpretation of her behavior and how it affects her and Maggie.

When Mama’s house burned down, it appears that Dee was glad, because she hated the house, most likely because it was very modest and connected the family to their ancestral history of slavery (ll. 53-57).

Mama believes that Dee hated Maggie as well (l. 58), but this was not the case after she sent Dee to Augusta to school. Mama never explains why she changed her opinion. It is possible that she is suggesting Dee was afraid she would end up submis...