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A review by thelizabeth
In Love & Trouble: Stories of Black Women by Alice Walker
3.0
(I read "Everyday Use," anthologized separately from this book. I'm going to mark this read for lack of having another way to add the story here.)
"Everyday Use" was interesting though not particularly moving to me. There is a lot to pull apart inside it: the limited narration of the poorly-educated and poorly-equipped mother, and the thematic contrasts between her adult daughters. The narration is good, and I liked it. The contrasts were less exciting.
Her daughter who's stayed home is sheltered and shown to be as unintelligent and unambitious as the mother, but this seems to be a virtue in the author's view. They live plainly and with some limited amount of strength.
The daughter who left produces all kinds of issues. She was given an education to surpass them, and here returns for a prodigal, condescending visit. Aside from disrespect, she's representing the black power movement, having chosen an African name and wanting to collect some "artifacts" from home. There's a debate.
There's also a man she's with. It's kind of odd that he's there. No one knows if she's married him or if he's just running a lot of influence with her. Are we supposed to think that she's becoming like this for him? Is he representing a woman's leaving her family behind for marriage? Is the author saying this is a betrayal?
The thing is I suspect these questions I want to be asking are a lot more interesting than the ones the story is really about. And now I'm tired of talking about it.
"Everyday Use" was interesting though not particularly moving to me. There is a lot to pull apart inside it: the limited narration of the poorly-educated and poorly-equipped mother, and the thematic contrasts between her adult daughters. The narration is good, and I liked it. The contrasts were less exciting.
Her daughter who's stayed home is sheltered and shown to be as unintelligent and unambitious as the mother, but this seems to be a virtue in the author's view. They live plainly and with some limited amount of strength.
The daughter who left produces all kinds of issues. She was given an education to surpass them, and here returns for a prodigal, condescending visit. Aside from disrespect, she's representing the black power movement, having chosen an African name and wanting to collect some "artifacts" from home. There's a debate.
There's also a man she's with. It's kind of odd that he's there. No one knows if she's married him or if he's just running a lot of influence with her. Are we supposed to think that she's becoming like this for him? Is he representing a woman's leaving her family behind for marriage? Is the author saying this is a betrayal?
The thing is I suspect these questions I want to be asking are a lot more interesting than the ones the story is really about. And now I'm tired of talking about it.