Lesson Four Everyday Use for Your Grandmama

Lesson Four
Everyday Use for Your
Grandmama
Background information
Alice Walker
 American blacks and their culture

Alice Walker


Walker, Alice (1944- ), American author and poet, most of whose writing
portrays the lives of poor, oppressed African American women in the
early 20th century.
She was also active in the movements for civil and women's rights.
Walker's other works





The Third Life of Grange Copeland (1970)
Meridian (1976)
The Color Purple (1982)
The Temple of My Familiar (1989)
Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992)
By the Light of My Father's Smile (1998)
The Color Purple

It won the Pulitzer Prize of Fiction and The American Book
Award.

It is about female black life during the 1930s in the Southern
United States. It is mainly about the experience of Celie, who
suffers from a lack of beauty yet still manages to grow stronger in
spite of that.

The symbolic meaning of “purple”
* suffering and pain
(Sofia's swollen, beaten face is described as the color of "eggplant”.)
* beauty and equality
(You must look at all the good and acknowledge them (purple
flowers) because God placed them all on earth". )
Everyday Use
It is included in the Norton Anthology of
Short Fiction.
 The story centers around one day when the
older daughter, Dee, visits from college
after time away and a conflict between them
over some heirloom family possessions. The
struggle reflects the characters' contrasting
ideas about their heritage and identity.

American Blacks and Their Culture
Today American blacks seem to enjoy
freedom in the Melting Pot, but
American blacks still hold their own
distinctive features in many social ways--in its history, religion, music, art and
literature.
Religion
They believe mostly African religions and
they worship their own God and establish
their own community churches. Their God is
different from the image in white people’s
mind.
 Totems（图腾）in African religions

Music

The songs of black slaves is the origin of
Black American literature. Oral tradition
came first in the form of songs, ballads and
spirituals, in short, folk literature in its
various manifestation.
Literature

Black American literature is also biblical, but it’s
different from that on which White American
literature is based. Black people have been
oppressed so hard that they can no longer stand
and they don’t want to toil in fetters any more:
they want “to go”, which is another way of saying
“freedom” and “emancipation”. This is the
essential spirit running through Black American
literature.
Questions for discussion:




Why did Dee want the quilt?
Why did Maggie want the quilt?
Why did Dee visit her mother and sister?
Has the mother’s feeling towards Dee
changed in the course of the story? How?
Words and phrases
3-12
confront (para 3)

be confronted with: to face boldly 对抗, 遭遇, 面临
I was confronted with the task of designing the new system.

confront sth. : to deal with a problem or difficult situation
She knew that she had to confront her fears.

c.f. encounter:
encounter something:
to experience something, especially something unpleasant or
difficult, while you are trying to do something else
I had never encountered such resistance before.
encounter somebody/something :
(formal) come across, to meet somebody, or discover or
experience something, especially somebody/something
new, unusual or unexpected.
She was the most remarkable woman he had ever
encountered.
totter (para 3)
to move in an unsteady way from side to side as if
about to fall, to walk with weak unsteady steps 蹒跚
The old lady tottered down the stairs.


c.f. toddle
When a young child who has just learnt to walk toddles,
he/she walks with short, unsteady steps.
I have to watch him all the time now that he's toddling.
limousine (Para 4)

A limousine is a large and very comfortable car, esp. one with a glass
screen between the front and back seats. Limousines are usually driven
by a chauffeur
cf:
Sedan / saloon : a car with seats for four or more people, a fixed roof,
and a boot (the space at the back of the car, covered by a lid, in which
you carry things such luggage, shopping or tools) that is separate from
the seating part of the car
convertible: a car with a soft roof that can be folded down or removed
sports car: a low usu. open car with room for only 2 people for traveling
with high power and speed
coupe [‘ku:pei] a car with a fixed roof, a sloping back, two doors and
seats for four people
hog (para 5)

hog: a pig, esp. a fat one for eating
swine: (old use) a pig
boar : male pig on a farm that is kept for
breeding
sow: fully grown female pig
Sidle （para. 9）
 move
unobtrusively or furtively
If you sidle somewhere, you walk there uncertainly or
cautiously, as if you do not want anyone to notice you
侧身而行, 悄悄挨近
A man sidled up to me and asked if I wanted a ticket for the
match.
She sidled up to me and whispered something in my ear.
shuffle (para. 9)

shuffle: slow dragging walk
1. If you shuffle, you walk without lifting your feet properly
off the ground
He slipped on his shoes and shuffled out of the room.
2. If you shuffle, you move your feet about while standing
or move your bottom about while sitting, often because you
feel uncomfortable or embarrassed.
I was shuffling in my seat.
cf:
totter, sidle, shuffle
Para 10


blaze:
to burn with a bright flame
A wood fire was blazing, but there was no other light in the
room.
n. the sudden sharp shooting up of a flame, a very bright fire
The fire burned slowly at first, but soon burst into a blaze.
dingy:
dirty and faded
A building or place that is dingy is rather dark and depressing
and does not seem to have been well looked after,.
This is the dingiest street of the town.
Clothes, curtains, etc. that are dingy are dirty or faded.
Para 11

make-believe : a state of pretending or the
things which are pretended
She lives in a make-believe world / a world of
make-believe.
The little girl made believe she was a princess.

dimwit:
(infml) an ignorant and stupid person
dim: faint, not bright
wit: intelligence, wisdom
Para 12

stare down any disaster in her efforts:
face up and defeat any disaster with her efforts
stare down: two people looking at each other
persistently until one shifts his eye

flicker: to move backwards and forwards unsteadily
Shadows flickered on the wall.
flickering eyelids
Translation
exercise
Para. 5

译文：在现实生活中，我是一个大块头、大骨架的妇女，
有着干男人活儿的粗糙双手。冬天睡觉时我穿着绒布睡
衣；白天身穿套头工作衫。我能像男人一样狠狠地宰猪并
收拾干净。我的一身脂肪使我在寒冬也保持温暖。我能整
天在户外干活儿，敲碎冰块，取水洗衣。我能吃在明火上
烧熟的猪肝，而这猪肝还冒着热气，从刚宰死的猪身上切
下来的。有一年冬天，我用一把大铁锤砍倒一头公牛，锤
子正打在小牛两眼之间的大脑上。天黑之前，我把牛肉挂
起来凉着。不过，这一切当然都没有在电视上出现过。我
的女儿希望我的样子是：体重减去一百磅，皮肤像下锅煎
之前的大麦面饼那样细腻光滑，头发在炽热耀眼的灯光下
闪闪发
亮。而且，我有一口伶牙俐齿，能够妙语连珠。
就连乔尼·卡森也望尘莫及。
13-16
Para. 13

stumble:
1. to stop and /or make mistakes in speaking or reading aloud
2. to catch the foot on the ground while moving along and
start to fall
She stumble at/over the long word.
cf:
stammer: to speak or say with pauses and repeated sounds,
either habitually or because of excitement, fear, etc.
stammerer
stutter: to speak or say with difficulty in producing sounds,
esp. habitually holding back the first consonant.
stutterer

good-naturedly: naturally kind, ready to help, to forgive, not
to be angry
A person or animal that is good-natured is naturally friendly
and does not easily get angry.
a good-natured policeman

mossy:
moss: any of several types of a small flat green or yellow
flowerless plant that grows in a thick furry mass on wet soil,
or on a wet surface

hook: to catch with or as if with a hook
to hook a fish / a rich husband
hooknose
Here: to attack with the horn of the cow

soothe: to make less angry, excited or anxious, comfort or
calm, to make less painful
soothing words
soothe one’s feelings
Para 15
furtive: stealthy, If sb. is furtive, he / she behaves as if he /
she wants to keep sth. secret or hidden
They suddenly looked furtive when I got into the room.
I watched him furtively pencil a note and slip it between the
pages.
hang about: to wait or stay near a place without purpose or
activity
well-turned: (of a phrase) carefully formed and pleasantly
expressed
a well-turned phrase: 恰当的词语
Para 16

scald: to burn with hot liquid
He scalded his tongue on / with the hot coffee
scalding: boiling or as hot as boiling

flashy: over-ornamented, unpleasantly big, bright,
etc. and perhaps not of good quality Something
that is flashy is so smart, bright and expensive that
you find it unpleasant and perhaps vulgar
a flashy sports car / cheap flashy clothes
17-23
Para 19-20

kinky: (esp. of hair) having kinks
kink: a backward turn or twist in hair, a rope,
chain, pipe, etc.

wriggle: to twist from side to side

loud: attracting attention by being unpleasantly
colourful
Para 22

something of a(n)... : (infml) rather a(n), a fairly good
If you say that a person or thing has something of a particular quality,
feeling, etc., you mean that they have it to some extent.
If you say that a person is something of an actor, something of a poet, etc.,
you mean that the person can act, write poetry, etc. to some extent.
If you say that a situation is something of a mystery / a surprise, etc., you
mean that it is slightly mysterious, slightly surprising.
He is something of a book collector / a musician.
I am something of a carpenter myself, you know.
make sth. of oneself: be successful
I hope he'll make sth. of himself.



peek: (infml) to look at sth. quickly, esp. when one
should not.
They caught him peeking through the hole at what
was going on in the room.
cf.
peep: to look at sth. quickly and secretly
It’s rude to peep at other people’s work.
He took a peep at the back of the book to find out the
answers to the questions.
peer: to look very carefully or hard, esp. as if not able
to see well
She peered through the mist, trying to find the right
path.
He peered at me over the top of his glasses.


go through motions with Maggie’s hand:
Here “motions” refer to trying to shake hands with
Maggie.
If you go through the motions, you say or do sth. that
is expected of you without being very sincere or
serious about it. Or you pretend to do sth. by making
the movements associated with a particular action.
The doctor was sure that the man wasn’t ill, but he
went through the motions of examining him.
I can go through the motions of putting imaginary
food into my mouth.
Para 23

limp: lacking strength or stiffness
n. a way of walking with one foot dragging
unevenly
v. to walk with an uneven step, one foot or
leg moving less well than the other
24-82
Para. 34

crop up: arise, happen or appear,
unexpectedly
Some difficulties have cropped up at work
so I’ll be late coming home tonight.
Para 42 : out of the way
not blocking space for the forward movement
I will move the chair out of your way.
He ran through the crowd, pushing people out
of his way.
Her social life got in the way of her studies.
When we got topic A out of the way, we
discuss topic B.
Summary
Freytag's pyramid
Retell the story


About three characters
About the plot
About the title
Everyday use ?
 for your grandmama?

theme?
Theme
1. Cultural identity in intercultural communication
2. Cultural heritage

The story addresses itself to the dilemma of African Americans who, in
striving to escape prejudice and poverty, risk a terrible deracination, a
sundering from all that has sustained and defined them.

Walker is saying that true art not only represents its culture, but is an
inseparable part of that culture. The purest and most sincere way to
celebrate one’s heritage is by treating it not as a topic of study but rather
as a way of life.

Alice Walker is using the quilts, and the fate of those quilts, to make the
point that the value of art lies in its connection to the culture it sprang
from.

The conflict between the mother and Dee
symbolizes different attitudes towards their cultural
heritage as blacks.

everyday use or decoration?
(1) honor their culture by putting these objects to
everyday use
(2) place their cultural relics on a shelf to be
appreciated
The old quilts, made from pieces of clothes worn by
grand-and great-grandparents and stitched by
Grandma’s hand, are clearly a symbol of the
cultural heritage of the black people.


The quilts mean different things to these two characters,
and that this difference is central to the story's overall
theme.
Dee and Maggie live very different lives not merely in terms
of their material circumstances but in terms of the
framework of values with which they approach
life. Because their priorities in life are different, they are
interested in different things and, when (as in this case)
they are interested in "the same" things (the quilts), they
are interested in very different aspects of them, and for
quite different reasons.

Maggie and her mother value items for their
usefulness. By contrast, Dee wanted to
hang these quilts on her wall because they
were in vogue in the background of the
Black Power Movement, demonstrating
that she does not understand her culture
and its core values of simplicity and
practicality.
Character
analysis
The story describes three women.
The daughters form a sharp contrast in every
conceivable way: appearance, character,
personal experience, etc.
Discussion

Compare the three women in the story.
Mother
proud, take pride in nature and her
surroundings (the description of the yard)
 strong
 hardworking
 without much education
 but not without intelligence or perception
 independent

Mother’s role
Prototype of traditional African-American
women
 Protector of cultural heritage


She works hard to send Dee to college
and prepare for the younger daughter’s
wedding. She feels sorry for Dee’s
getting afar from her culture, while she is
also proud for her achievements. She
lives a humble life, but she never
complains and is content with the
condition.
Dee:
In the text:

She has held life always in the palm of one
hand.

"No" is a word the world never learned to say
to her.


She would always look anyone in the eye.
Hesitation was no part of her nature.



Dee is deeply influenced by the white people’s
culture though from a black family.
She is ambitious and aggressive. Several
years of college education entitled her to look
down upon her hometown from the standing
point of civilization.
She hates almost all that she was born with:
the poor old house, her plain-looking, stout
mother, her lame sister, and so on.
Dee’s role



Dee stands for the group of people amongst the
Blacks who are willing to change their lives from being
despised by the people of higher levels.
They adopt a culture that does not belong to them,
thus abandoning the unique and defining aspects of
their own culture.
In fact, they try their best to change only to find that
they are both excluded from the White and their own
community.
Evidence

Ashamed of her identity
(the fire, her name)
About Dee’s name

Background knowledge:
During the black power movement in the mid-1960’s,
young black African Americans proclaimed they would
no longer be oppressed by their current lifestyle and
began to celebrate African culture by exploiting it for
exotic names and ethnic appeal. There was an increased
tendency of African Americans to exchange their AngloSaxon names for traditional African names in order to
separate themselves from a culture that represent the
oppression of their ancestors by slavery.

Dee wanted to change her name to “Wangero”,
thinking that “Dee” is a name from the white.
She doesn’t know that she is named after her
aunt and even further, her great-grand mother.
The mother wanted her to remember the
tradition and history of the family by the name,
but she actually knows nothing about the
origin of her name.
Maggie
shy
 unintelligent and unattractive
 innocent and humble
 lack of self-confidence
 She had very little contact with someone
outside her home (Evidence: Dee’s boyfriend)
 She was away from the society of the white
people and knew little about it, too.

Maggie’s role


Maggie stands for the Black people who is just
living in his/her own society all the time. He/she
knows nothing about the outside world.
She is the ture heiress of family tradition and black
culture. Although she lacks most of Dee's
advantages, she is able to carry on family
traditions and appreciate the true meaning of the
things Grandma left behind.
Writing techniques



Characterization
Perspective: first person
Symbolization
Characterization
Perspective
 Important details
 Symbols

? Examples in the text
The importance of details
My Bad-Tempered Father
My father is easily angered by normal，everyday mistake．One day my
father told me to wash the car and cut the grass．I did not hear exactly what
he said，and so I asked him to repeat it．Then he went into a hysterical mood
and shouted，“Can't you hear？”
Another time he asked my mother to go to the store and buy groceries with
a fifty-dollar bill，and told her to spend no more than twenty dollars．She
spent twenty-two dollars．As soon as he found out，he immediately grabbed
the change from her and shouted that she was never to do any errands for him
again．He did not speak to her for the rest of the day．
My father also gives my older brothers a hard time with his irritable
moods．One day，he told them to be home from their dates by midnight；they
came home at 12:15．He informed them that they were grounded for three
weeks．
To my father，making a simple mistake is like commiting a severe crime．
Another Example
A Dream of Red Mansions
An except from A Poem about
Disenchantment
其素若何，春梅绽雪．其洁若何，秋蕙披霜.
其静若何，松生空谷．其艳若何，霞映澄塘．
其文若何，龙游曲沼．其神若何，月射寒江．
Translated by Yang Xianyi & Gladys Yang
Translated by David Hawke
Discussion

Symbols in the story

The quilts that Wangero wants to have link her
generation to prior generations, and thus they
represent the African American past. The quilts
contain scraps of dresses worn by the
grandmother and even the great-grandmother,
as well as a piece of the uniform worn by the
great-grandfather who served in the Union
Army in the War between the states.
Name: Wangero/Dee
 Yard
 House
 Fire
 …

Key to exercise XII
1) A big fire burned to the ground more than 300 homes in the
slum neighborhood.
2) If you are upright and not afraid of losing anything, you will be
able to look anyone in the eye.
3) Despite the flood, the losses in agricultural production were not
that serious.
4) This blouse doesn’t match the color or style of the skirt.
5) Let's talk about the matter over a cup of coffee.
6) I can’t imagine you doing disgraceful things.
7) He couldn’t imagine why people were opposed to his
suggestions.
8) Stepping off from the car, the official was confronted by two
terrorist.
9) As long as we stick to these principles, we will surely be
successful.
10) She was shocked at the news, but before long she
recomposed herself.
11) It’s very difficult to trace this quotation to its source.
12) Their way of life could be traced to the ancient traditions
handed down to them by their ancestors more than one
thousand years ago.