The Character Of “Mama“ In Alice Walker's “Everyday Use“

2 Pages 620 Words

The character of Mama in the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, is a survivalist. She sees and tells of how things are, no glitz or glamour, just the hard plain truth about herself and her family surviving. This is pretty much the life that she has led. Self-described as “…a large, big-boned, woman with rough, man-working hands.” Mama shows a no nonsense, hit you in the face, truth about herself and her daughters.
Growing up poor, Mama had to work hard to raise her family. There is mention of the girls’ daddy, but the story does not elaborate on him. I cannot be certain of the roll in which he played in the raising of the family. She described how she could kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man could, worked outside in the bitter cold, breaking ice for water for washing, and even went on to explain how she killed a bull calf with a sledge hammer and had the meat hung before nightfall. Not a lot of men, even fewer women, would be able to perform such a task.
Being black in the early and mid 1900’s, Mama grew up with a sense for survival. She never looked a strange white man in the eye nor did she ever talk straight to them. Always taking the defensive posture for flight. She seemed to avoid any conflict of any type, mostly because the black would be seen as being in the wrong. This non-combativeness holds true when Dee arrives and announces that her name is no longer Dee, but Wangero. Mama puts up little fight about a family name that has been passed through the generations. She avoided conflict. Mama enjoys the simplistic things in life. Early and at the end of the story, she describes how just sitting in the front yard, although hers is clay and sand, can pass the day away as though she was in her living room.
Throughout the entire story, Mama pretty much acts like a pacifist. Never wanting to start any trouble or put her foot down about anything. Dee (Wangero) came home and started ...