Narrator and point of view

The short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker is narrated from a first-person, limited point of view by Mama, the main character. Through the first-person narration, readers gain access to Mama’s internal monologue, which helps them understand more about the character and her experiences.

The narration’s style is conversational, as Mama seems to invite the readers into her yard but also into her mind. She also addresses the readers directly at times: “You’ve no doubt seen those TV shows (…)” (l. 12).

The narration is mixed with dialogue, and the narrator sometimes follows the dialogue with her own observations: “ ‘Aunt Dee’s first husband whittled the dash’, said Maggie so low you almost couldn’t hear her.” (ll. 190-191); “ ‘Hang them,’ she said. As if that was the only thing you could do with quilts.” (l. 243)

The narrator’s limited point of view is illustrated by the f...