Using Marxist Theory to analyze Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”

Marxist theorist supports a society with no class and to justify this they claim that it divides society. Some of the basic concepts described by this theory include classism and capitalism. When analyzing Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”, some of these basic concepts can be identified. The story is set in the late 1900’s in the South. The story portrays a poor family struggling for survival. We are greeted by a single mother of two who struggles to take care of her family in the best way possible.

In everyday life, we see the effect of classism on our society; a shattered society divided by the amount of wealth one has; a society where only the richest can afford the best of everything. Likewise, in “Everyday Use”, we see how classism has affected a small struggling family. As was highlighted in the aforementioned, the Johnson family belongs to a struggling lower class. This therefore means that there is little opportunity and resources at their disposal. Luckily for Dee, she had the rare opportunity of going off to college and getting an education, unlike her sister Maggie. In every society, education is a symbol of great success; it is a symbol for social class, status and power.  Dee fails to associate herself with her family because of their lack of social class and status. One way she deals with this is by changing her name. When questioned about her decision to do this, she claims, “I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppress me” (Walker 278). The story portrays Dee to be very fortunate yet she appears to have forgotten where she came from; she has forgotten the struggles which surrounded her while growing up. Dee shows up at her mother’s home dressed in a way that not even her mother can identify. She appears selfish and undoubtedly ungrateful. The Marxist Theory therefore tries to eliminate effects of classism on society for we can identify with Maggie because of the way her sister treats her by making her feel less of a person. This is what the Marxist tries to avoid.

Capitalist ideologies can also be identified in the “Everyday Use”. For example, there was evidence of competition and the American dream. Competition in this piece is obvious even if it’s not welcomed by the opponents. In this case, Dee is always selfish towards her sister and speaks down to her intellectually even though she is aware that her sister does not understand what she speaks of. She appears to be so self-involved that she forgets others around her. For example, Dee tries to acquire some old quilts made by passed relatives and when her mother denies her the quilts claiming that she intended on giving them to her sister, Dee bellows, “ Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts!...she’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use” (Walker 280).

We have all heard of the American dream, some of us have even dreamt the American dream. But what really is this American dream?  According to Tyson, this is a kind of determination in all of us to strive for a better life; he calls this “rags to riches” (59). We can see how this theory plays out in the Walker’s piece. Dee has always dreamed for and hoped for a better life but her mother and sister are yet to experience this. And she appears to be extremely proud of whom she has become but still ashamed of her family, as she addresses her sister, “you ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie. It’s really a new era for all of us. But from the way you and Mama still live you’d never know it” (Walker 281). Some may share these same beliefs like Dee but the Marxist strongly opposes it. They establish that everyone does not have equal opportunities or resources readily available to them; therefore, not everyone can reap the rewards. And this is the case here, for Maggie never had the opportunities like her sister did, she has never encountered that will or push to be better. Dee seems to think that her family is responsible for their being but the Marxist blames the whole concept of the American dream for this.

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