At a first glance, a story can seem boring and meaningless, but the theme can have a deeper meaning. Every story possesses its own unique themes and main ideas. The short story, “Everyday Use” written by Alice Walker, is about a family of African Americans. The narrator is an African American mother, and she tries her best to help her daughter Dee out. Dee is an extremely spoiled girl who is not grateful for anything she receives. There are many themes presented within this piece of writing. Three themes that were highlighted in the story and which can apply to the real world are the Golden Rule and how one should be grateful for themselves.
The Golden Rule is the rule that one should treat others the way they want to be treated. There were three main occasions in which Dee’s behavior topped the roof. First, when their old house burnt down, Dee felt happy because she did not enjoy living in the other house. Dee is selfish when assuming that her family members do not care about their house also. Secondly, when her mother calls her Dee, she informs her that she has changed her name to Wangero. Her mother then tells her Dee is a name passed down from generations, but Dee does not care. Lastly, Dee does not accept education. Her mother and many of the members in church worked day and night in order to earn the money to bring Dee to school, but she refuses to attend. Neither her sister nor mother have gotten a proper education, and Dee simply denies such a great opportunity. These terrible actions truly prove that Dee treats others terribly. At the end of the story when Dee leaves, her mother and sister are happy that she is gone. Looking back at the golden rule, Dee’s terrible ways of treatment towards others backfired, and she ended up being erased from her family. The golden rule can also be applied into real life. When a child is being bullied in school, revenge is the only thought on their mind. When teachers are being nice, the students will want to give them gifts. These are just a few of the many ways the golden rule can be applied into reality.
Gratefulness is the appreciation of what somebody possesses, and it is extremely important. In an uncountable amount of situations, Dee disapproves of what her relatives give her. Dee does not accept education, a home, her family members, love. All of these are too impossible to reject for a sane individual. Gratefulness is such an important ability to possess in real life, there is even a holiday dedicated towards it, Thanksgiving. On most people’s thankful list, possessions such as a home, a computer, friends, and family are the most common. These “items” are to be “loved” by the thankful being. If Dee had to write her own list of possessions she is thankful (Dee is not thankful for anything basically) for, it would mostly contain the same list as an average person, but the items would be used to impress others rather than used to help oneself. This is the difference between Dee and someone else. Being grateful can even strengthen bonds between people, and as Gordon B. Hinckley, an american religious leader, once said, “Gratitude creates the most wonderful feelings. It can resolve disputes. It can strengthen friendships.” Not having gratefulness can cause the complete opposite. It will destroy friendships, break love, and induce the most terrible feelings, unless it’s Dee. Thankfulness is important and should not be discarded.
In conclusion, the themes presented in “Everyday Use” can have great effect when applied into reality. These two themes are both powerful at creating friendships and maintaining them. The golden rule states how one should treat others the way they want to be treated, which helps create friendships. Gratefulness is a powerful feeling that can strengthen friendships. The theme of a story can provide much more information than expected.