Welcome to oureverydayuse! This site is designed for classroom use for my world literature students at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. The title of this blogsite is taken from one of my favorite short stories and one that we will read, "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker. In this short story, Walker examines the mother/daughter relationship and how the Johnson women in the story view the importance of their African American heritage. She does this by focusing on some Johnson family handmade heirlooms and how the two daughters, Dee and Maggie, perceive their use. Should we take hand-crafted family treasures--these works of art--and hang them on the wall to admire, or should we put them to everyday use? I selected this story for the title of this blog because I believe that literature, like all art, is an exploration of the human condition and is here for us to apply to our everyday lives. Good literature can and should be put to everyday use. The stories that I have selected for us to read and discuss this quarter are ones that I believe help us understand ourselves. Many of the stories deal with the creative process and how forces within us and forces outside of us often interfere with, and even destroy, the creative process. In addition to classroom discussion, this blogsite is here for you to share your thoughts about the literature that we will read during the next 11 weeks. Put it to everyday use!!
For more information about Alice Walker, check out this website http://www.luminarium.org/contemporary/alicew/
posted by Elizabeth @ 4:57 PM
3 Comments:
Girl
My view of what I was reading was that she was made to do everything this is what her mother wanted her to do. she felt that she couldn't say what she felt so she expressed it through her words.04-29-09
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i just wanted to make a comment about death of a salesman, and couldnt find where to do so , so ill make it right here.... watching this movie reminded me alot of my life at home just cause my parents both graduated from high school, had kids, and started the hard working careers at 18 . due do that they are very "set in" there ways. My dad does not agree with school , let alone ART school . my mother is semi supportive unlike the mother in this play , but willie loman reminds me of my dad, thinking that the way he knows is the only way even if he himself is not succesfull in his ways...105
I really liked this story because myself personally experienced this situation in my family between my brothers and also between my mom and aunt and Dee like my aunt and my older brother and maggie is like my mom and my other older brother and Ms. johnson is like the rest of the family , we are very observant to the situation but it comes to a point that we have to step in and say whats what
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