The Black Walnut Tree 'And Everyday Use' By Alice Walker

Aparently Dee has changed her name to together. Mama told Dee she can have the other quilts. In the end Mama did what was right, she stood up

To some families passing down antiques or memorabilia down from generation to generation is something that is done with pride, for this family it is not a watch or earrings but instead walnut trees. Specifically, one huge walnut tree nestled close to the family’s house. This poem displays the sacrifices a family with strong roots will make in order to keep a pastime alive. The first thing that can be analyzed about this family is it appears that there are only two members who make the big decisions in the house, the mother and the daughter. It can be assumed that the father has either passed away or is just simply not in the picture anymore.

Mama ultimately decides that she wants to keep the quilts for their sentimental value and to pass them down to future generations. Mama makes an effort to counteroffer and convince Dee to take some other quilts that have less sentimental value. Dee declines, “No, I don't want those. They are stitched around the borders by machine,” and instead asks for “pieces of dresses Grandma used to wear,” (Walker 320). Her decision to keep them symbolizes her desire to maintain the family’s traditions and protect their history.

In the free verse poem “The Black Walnut Tree” by Mary Oliver, the speaker and her mother debate about selling the black walnut tree in their backyard to pay off the mortgage. The poem is narrated in the first person and has a conversational tone, demonstrated by the simple vocabulary and diction, such as “we talk,” “I say,” and “she replies.” In the beginning, the speaker and her mother discuss the logical reasons for selling the tree, viewing the tree in a somewhat utilitarian manner. However, in line sixteen, the poem shifts and they discuss their emotional attachment to the tree, describing it as a symbol of the family’s history. The poem conveys the relationship between the tree and the family through the use of figurative language and

Of greater importance to the preservation of any culture are the stories, traditions, language, and overall way of life that should be passed on from generation to generation. However, I do see the significance in artifacts in that they can play a role in educating future generations

After Wangero asks for the quilts for the first time, Mama shares that she promised to give them to Maggie at her wedding. Upset by this response, Wangero quickly attempts to convince her mother that Maggie isn't worthy of having the quilts. In paragraph 12, Wangero claims “maggie can't appreciate the quilts” and “She’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.” She was trying to appeal to her mother's love and attachment to the quilts. She wanted to explain to her mother that if she gave maggie the quilts, they would get ruined so instead she should let Wangero have them so they could be preserved.

Maggie valued her family quilts differently than what Dee thought they meant. In the passage Dee states Maggie’s use of the quilts, “Maggie would put them on a bed and in five years they’d be in rags. Less than that!” little did Dee know that the purpose of these quilts were intended for everyday use. Maggie was taught to quilt by her grandmothers’ and she remembers them by using the quilts.

"Maggie can't appreciate these quilts!" she said. "She'd probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use." ( 351). Dee feels her younger sister's intention of the use of the quilts is not as important as hers.

(Nancy Tuten) agrees by saying, "Mama's distaste for Dee's egotism is tempered by her desire to be respected by her daughter.” The Mom’s character changes during the quilt scene, as she realizes that Maggie shares the appreciation of culture and heritage, and Dee's appreciation is entirely different from theirs. During the quilt scene, Dee is demanding Mom to give her the quilts, and Mom says, "when I looked at her like that something hit me in the top of my head and ran down to the soles of my feet.” In other words the daughter who she has always thought so highly of knew little of their culture and had little appreciation for their heritage. Walker creates the “mom” character to help defend her point, which is the importance of upholding the values and traditions in the African American

These quilts are a ways of honoring her African American heritage and to be given these was very significant in their culture. For once Dee sees the historical background because of the stitching and material used, but doesn’t find any use in using them. Dee is going to try and convince her mom to let her keep the quilts, when Dee says, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts!” (Walker 721) and “You just will not understand. The point these quilts, these quilts!”

She found value in the aesthetic appeal of her heritage. During their meal, Dee mentioned that the chute would make for a good “centerpiece”, but her artistic venture did not end there, as Dee’s final move was to have the quilts to “hang them.” Even Maggie knew, or at least had an inkling, how Dee would use the quilt. Maggie “hung back in the kitchen” then their mother “heard something fall in the kitchen” , and later a “kitchen door slammed” immediately after Dee asked to have the quilts. Yet another instance of Dee shunning practicality was her vexed reaction to the machine stitched quilts.

“Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts! She said. “she’d probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.” (walker). This shows that dee really wants the quilts but not for the reason her mother wants.

Mama wanted nothing but the best for her; she did everything in her power to get her to college because she wanted her to have a better life than she did. However, Dee used her education against Mama and Maggie in efforts to present her culture in a “better” way. Changing her name to Wangero because her birth name “Dee”, as she informed them “I couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the people oppress me” (Walker 27). In contrast, Mama and Maggie never changed the way they dressed “African descent” or change their names to portray their true

This new outlook on her life caused Dee to place different values on the items with which she had grown up. She wanted to take the items as things to put on display like art hanging on a wall. Dee even wanted the cherished quilts to “hang them” (Walker, 1973) instead of using them as blankets. As she saw it, to use the quilts for their original purpose would destroy them, or as she said, “Maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they 'd be in rags” (Walker, 1973).

In her poem, “The Black Walnut Tree”, Mary Oliver contrasts the practical needs of a family with the emotional bonds that are equally necessary to hold people together. In illustrating this conflict, Oliver develops two images of the relationship between the family and the tree, a literal relationship between two women and a valuable piece of property, and an allegorical relationship where the tree stands in as the critical thread tying together the family. Through use of imagery, simile, symbolism, and diction, Oliver shows that the relationship between the family and the tree transcends pragmatism, and truly represents the beautiful and infinite connections that hold together a family even against the trials of time. As the poem begins,