Everyday Use

Reread lines 7-10 what can you infer about Maggie and her sister

pg 46

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There is a lot we can infer about the two sisters. In many ways, they are character foils to each other. Maggie was scarred in a house fire as a child, and is self-conscious about her burns. She has always shuffled around in the shadows of her garish big sister, Dee. Maggie lurks in the shadows of the house when Dee visits. Maggie has limited education and is destined to live like Mama. Unlike Maggie, Dee’s persona is loud, garish, and judgmental. She operates under the guise of “Black Pride” and a return to pre-slavery identity that was popular with many black college students in the 1960’s. Dee’s colorful attire and insistence she be called "Wangero" seems forced and without nuance. Dee is college educated and rebukes the way Mama and Maggie live.