Dee changes her name to Wangero in an attempt to connect with some vague assumptions of African heritage. Ironically she rejects her real heritage, that she shares with mother and sister, for an idealized heritage that she knows little about.
Why does Dee change her name to Wangero Leewanika?
Dee changes her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo as a way to establish her new identity as an independent, proud African woman. In doing so, Dee rejects her traditional family heritage in favor of renouncing the former slave owners that initially named her ancestors.
Why did Dee change her name?
The reason that Dee gives for changing her name is that she doesn't want to go by her "slave name." She chooses an African name to better represents her family heritage. Of course, in doing this she actually separates herself from her family heritage (Dee was, in fact, a family name). E-notes has some great resources on this story.
Do you think Dee is rejecting her African heritage?
Yes. Dee comes up with a new identity for herself, thinking it's representing her African heritage. In reality, she's rejecting her true family heritage by changing the identity she was born with and by taking up meaningless ways or things that she sees as culturally acceptable for African Americans (her clothes, jewelry, changing of her name).
Why does Wangero want to claim power by deciding her own name?
From Mama's perspective, Wangero's sudden embrace of African culture and disavowal of things related to her own family rings false. However, it is understandable to the reader that Wangero would want to claim power by deciding on her own name.
Why did Dee change her name to Wangero how is this change important and how is it reflected in her attitude toward the family artifacts?
Dee changes her name to Wangero because she believes the name Dee to come from the people who oppress her. This shows that she doesn't truly understand her heritage or the specialty of her original name (who it came from). It shows that she doesn't really care about her background or her original identity.
Why does Dee change her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo What is her mother's reaction and how does Dee respond?
Dee responds by correcting her mother and saying that she has changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. Dee proceeds to tell Mama that she changed her name because she could not bear to be named after people who oppressed her ancestors.
Is Dee and Wangero the same person?
Dee. Mama's older daughter, who has renamed herself Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. Dee wears a brightly colored, yellow-and-orange, ankle-length dress that is inappropriate for the warm weather. Her hair stands up straight on top and is bordered by two long pigtails that hang down in back.
What is Dee's new name in everyday use?
Wangero Leewanika KemanjoDee, in other words, has moved towards other traditions that go against the traditions and heritage of her own family: she is on a quest to link herself to her African roots and has changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo.
Why does Dee shun her given name?
The reason that Dee gives forchanging her name is that she doesn't want to go by her "slave name." She chooses an Africanname to better represents her family heritage. Of course, in doing this she actually separatesherself from her family heritage (Dee was, in fact, a family name).
What does the name Dee represent to the narrator?
Dee is a symbol of success, accompanied by her lack of remembrance and care for her ancestral history. Maggie, her sister, is a symbol of respect and passion for the past. Mama tells the story of her daughter Dee's arrival.
Who is older Maggie or Dee?
Maggie is an extremely reserved girl who has an older sister named Dee. " Dee is lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and a fuller figure." (10). She has horrible burn scars all over her body from a house fire, she can't walk well, and is thin.
What has changed about Dee since leaving home?
how has Dee changed when she arrives to see her family? she changed her name, and wears the hairstyle of someone who has embraced black pride. Why does Dee want the quilts? she wants to hang the quilts to call attention to her African heritage.
Is Dee being true to her heritage?
She has little true understanding of Africa, so what she considers her true heritage is actually empty and false. Furthermore, Dee views her real heritage as dead, something of the past, rather than as a living, ongoing creation.
What is revealed about Dee's character?
Unflappable, not easily intimidated, and brimming with confidence, Dee comes across as arrogant and insensitive, and Mama sees even her admirable qualities as extreme and annoying. Mama sees Dee's thirst for knowledge as a provocation, a haughty act through which she asserts her superiority over her mother and sister.
What is Wangero's given name in Everyday Use?
Dee a.k.a Wangero Leewanika KemanjoDee a.k.a Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo in Everyday Use | Shmoop.
What does Dee plan to do with her mother's butter churn top?
Dee asks to have the butter churn and she wants to use the lid for it should be a centerpiece and she wants to paint it. She also wants quilts because she wants to hang them to preserve them. She wanted the stick to the dasher, she wants to find something artistic to do with it meaning she will paint the dasher.
What African language does Dee use to greet her mother and sister when she first steps out of the car?
And let's not forget how she eschews Hello for the African Wa-su-zo-Tean-o when she greets her mother and sister. By assuming the African name Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo, Dee takes this all a step further.
What does Dee accuse Mama of not understanding?
Near the end of the story, Dee accuses Mama of not understanding their African American heritage.
What has changed about Dee since leaving home?
how has Dee changed when she arrives to see her family? she changed her name, and wears the hairstyle of someone who has embraced black pride. Why does Dee want the quilts? she wants to hang the quilts to call attention to her African heritage.
Why did Dee change her name?
Dee changes her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo as a way to establish her new identity as ...
Why does Dee wear clothing that reflects African culture?
Dee assumes the African name of Wangero and now wears clothing that reflects African rather than American culture because she has embraced Cultural Nationalism. As part of this new culture, Dee rejects all that represents what she feels is an oppressed past. Part of this past is her name, which is traceable to an aunt named Dicie, who was called "Big Dee." She was named after other ancestors who would probably go back as far as the Civil War, the mother/narrator states. And, when the mother explains that the name Dee has long been in the family, Asalamalakim, Wangero's boyfriend, observes, "Well...there you are," implying that the name belongs to the former oppressors and should be rejected.
How did Mama respond to her daughter's new identity?
Mama responds to her daughter's new identity by explaining that Dee was named after her aunt Dicie, who was named after Grandma Dee and a long line of ancestors carrying the same name, dating past the Civil War. While Dee... (The entire section contains 4 answers and 1012 words.)
Why is it important to choose a child's name?
Names are important. For example, most people choose their children's names very carefully, seeking names that perpetuate a legacy and/or fit the child's personality. Children often grow up to shorten or even change their legal names to something that feels more like "them." So, it's important to consider how names impact a person's self-identity, as well as how others construct their perception of a person's identity based on a name.
Why did Dee change her name?
Dee changed her name because she was ashamed of where she came from and did not want to be known as a poor kid that started out in hand-me-downs. She has changed her name and appearance to disassociate herself from her family, descended from slaves.
Why does Dee change her name in "Everyday Use"?
In "Everyday Use," Dee changes her name because she believes it is connected to the names of her family's "oppressors," though Mama reminds her that the name has belonged to many women in their family.
How is Dee different from Maggie?
In this way, Dee is very different from Maggie. Maggie is actually the daughter who is richer by far because she sees the pricelessness of the things and people of her past. Maggie is not defined by the past. Dee, ironically, is completely defined by the past she is trying to reject.
What did Dee want from her mother?
Dee wanted nice things . Her clothes, though gifted to her mother and worn before, were transformed so that Dee was proud to wear them, as they transformed her from a country girl to a woman with prospects:
Why does Mama cherish Dee's name?
Mama explains that she can trace Dee's name back to the Civil War and cherishes her daughter's name because it belonged to her loved ones. Dee's attempt at celebrating her African heritage misses the mark, as she unknowingly denies her real heritage. This is also emphasized by her perception of the family quilts.
What does Maggie's mother say about her dog?
Her mother describes Maggie's behavior as similar to that of a dog that might have been hit by a car, now lame and looking for someone to be kind to her.
What was Dee's behavior in the 1960s?
Dee's behavior reflects the social movement of the 1960s and 1970s in which the ideas of "black pride" or Black Nationalism, developed from the struggle for civil rights, were adopted by some Americans of African descent.
Why did Dee change her name?
Dee changes her name to Wangero because she believes the name Dee to come from the people who oppress her. This shows that she doesn't truly understand her heritage or the specialty of her original name (who it came from). It shows that she doesn't really care about her background or her original identity.
How does Dee's gap affect Maggie and Mama?
Dee feels superior to Mama and Maggie and with the gap in education comes the trouble of finding things in common or being able to relate to each other.
How does Dee use her intellect?
She uses it in a negative way. Dee uses her intellect to intimidate others and by doing this has lost a true sense of self (sense of her true heritage, background, and identity) within her education. She holds no respect for anything but her world-she looks down on poverty and doesn't see anything but her opinions and what she's learned within her education.
What does Maggie's gaze show in Dee and Maggie?
For Maggie, her downward, shy, even scared gaze reveals how small she feels or how inferior she is to Dee. This difference shows how opposing these two characters really are.
What does the quilt stand for in the Johnson family?
The quilts stand as a symbol for bonds between the women of different generations in the Johnson family. It stands for their enduring legacy, represented in the quilts they fashion together.
What does Mama tell Maggie about quilts?
Mama had originally planned to give them to Dee, but she remembers Dee telling her once that quilts are old-fashioned and out of style. She also knows Maggie can quilt and can appreciate them better by putting them to good use, instead of never using them like Dee would.
What is Dee's new name?
Dee's new name is Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. She changes her name because her old name is a slave name.
Is Maggie shy or confident?
Maggie is shy and timid. She avoids eye contact and looks at the ground since she is not confident. She has a good memory. She lives life in a simple way like her mother. Dee is confident educated and has a strong personality. She thinks she is superior to her mother and sister and understands the world better.