Papers Gallery

Dee and Maggie are sisters who do not share the same ideas. The mother is uncertain about her two daughters personalities and different views on what life truly means. In The story the author describes the ups and downs of the sisters and always conveys being weak, scared, and failing. The other sister who has always had life easy. The two sisters have different appearance and personalities, Maggie is a petite girl who is very thin, she has scars and burn scars that she is ashamed of from the house they used to live in, Her mother says “She has been like this, chin on chest, eyes on the ground, feet in the shuffle. Meanwhile, Dee Her hair stands up straight on top and she wears two long pigtails that hang down in back. She wears a brightly colored, yellow-and-orange, ankle-length dress that is inappropriate for the warm weather. Dee is a little bit more bigger than maggie, she is also very conceited. Maggie is a shy quiet person who stays to herself, she is sweet, and she is rural and represents tradition. Dee on the other hand is overbearing, selfish, arrogant, confident, happy with who she is, she was not the type to hesitate anything (Walker 29). Maggie believes that heritage is an attachment to her ancestors. She believes the everyday use of the quilt, how much value the quilt has will kept her connected to her ancestors. She has more value in keeping her ancestors tradition. Meanwhile, Dee thinks does not believe it is apart of the essential nature. She believes the correct way to accept her heritage is to not put it to everyday use but value it in a way. Dee also believes that Maggie wouldn’t appreciate the quilts., Dee says, Maggie doesn’t understand the meaning of the quilt! She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.” Dee says she would hang the quilts up instead of putting them to everyday use. Mama asks Dee what she would do with the quilts and Dee says “Hang them” (Walker 1177) which shows that Dee does not have any interest in the quilt. Maggie is the one who knows about the real meaning of their heritage. Maggie knows how to quilt because her ancestors taught her. Through Mama, Maggie, and Dee, Alice Walker gives a true definition of the word heritage. Heritage is what is inside Mama and Maggie, the memories and the skills they have inherited from their kindred. True heritage comes from the everyday use of the memories and skills that are passed down from generation to generation. Dee personifies what heritage is not. Heritage is not hung on a wall, admired for its beauty, and then forgotten. Heritage is a living entity to be built upon by future generations. Mama realizes this in the end and sees that Maggie is the future of their heritage.