In "Everyday Use," Mama and Dee do not share the same values, and each lives a very different lifestyle from the other. However, one could argue that both women have a sense of pride in the lives that they lead and that this sense of pride is unshakable. At the beginning of the story, Mama reveals through the privacy of first-person narration that she has dreamed of being a different woman, one of whom her daughter Dee would be proud. However, Mama has never in reality tried to be that imagined person, and she seems content with the life that she leads. Mama is humble in her description of herself, giving the honest details of her "large, big-boned" structure. Mama makes decisions based on her own view of cultural heritage, hence her decision to give the quilts to Maggie. Similarly, Dee has always wanted "nice things," and her style of dress and educational pursuits have reflected this aspect of Dee's personality. She has never liked the Johnsons' lifestyle, so as an adult, Dee has found a path that is better suited for her. Both Mama and Dee share their differing views on culture, but they will not bend to appease the other.
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