In her late 20th century short story "Everyday Use", African-American writer Alice Walker contrasts the struggle between the main characters around the theme recurrent. The story takes place in rural Georgia in the 1970s. The plot revolves around Mama, Maggie and Dee. Everywhere, heritage is developing and remains a central theme that drives them. Each of these women in the Johnson family tries to stay true to the heritage value. But different heritage roles exist between each woman, so their ways of carrying out this mission differ. The story “Everyday Use” illustrates the different understandings and uses of heritage through Mama, Maggie and Dee. To emphasize his theme of heritage, Walker shows how the character Mama views Dee's name. Dee changes her name and Mom decides whether to use it or not. Throughout, Mama uses Dee and Wangero interchangeably. As David Cowart writes, Ms Johnson is confused and cannot commit to the new name. She tries to have it both ways, referring to her daughter sometimes by one name, sometimes by the other. . . (Cowart 1 of 7). As the narrator, Mom uses the new or original name for a reason. Carol Andrews observes as Mama administers Wangero while she denies Dee's point of view because unlike Dee, she understands what the quilts represent. “I snatched the quilts from Miss Wangero’s hands. . .” (“EU” cited in Andrews 3 of 4). Mom explains the connection between the name Dee and female ancestors. “You know as well as I do that you are named after your aunt Dicie. . . I probably could have carried him beyond the civil war through the branches” (“EU” 89). Helga Hoel writes that Mom is surprised that Dee gave up her name, "because Dee was her great-grandmother's name... middle of paper ... e's opposing view. Overall, Alice Walker uses the characters Mama, Maggie, and Dee to illustrate the different understandings and customs of heritage. Mom, the narrator and mother, expresses her values ​​through extensive genealogical knowledge and interactions between girls. The eldest daughter, Maggie, emerges thanks to her mother looking like a mother-to-be and the ability of tradition to live on through her. Yet universal influences lead Dee, the other girl, to develop opposing perspectives. The presence of conflicting views fester between the Johnson women. To dispel opposition, Walker rightly places certain views on a pedestal during the final scene. Many criticize the effects of society and the establishment of ideals that history capitalizes on. The central idea suggests that Walker, an African-American woman, much like the main characters, herself struggled with concepts..