Name:
Date:
Block:
1.
“My Mother Pieced Quilts”/”Everyday Use” Symbols and Theme Organizer
What could a ​
quilt​
symbolize?
2. What do the quilts in “My Mother Pieced Quilts” symbolize? Pick two pieces of evidence from the poem, copy
them into the spaces below, and explain what they say, show, and how they matter.
a. Evidence 1:
What does the evidence ​
say​
?
What does the evidence ​
show?​
(How does it relate to the rest of the
poem?)
Why does the evidence ​
matter​
?
(How does this show what quilts
symbolize​
?)
What does the evidence ​
show?​
(How does it relate to the rest of the
poem?)
Why does the evidence ​
matter​
?
(How does this show what quilts
symbolize​
?)
b. Evidence 2:
What does the evidence ​
say​
?
(1 sentence)
3. Take background notes on Alice Walker and “Everyday Use” in the space below.
● “Everyday Use” written by Alice Walker, an African-American author and activist, in 1973
● Story set in rural American South
● Pan-Africanist movement
○ Many young, educated African-Americans in the 1970s rejected cultural traditions that had come from
slavery
○ Chose to embrace an “African” identity, often changing names and religions
● Characters
○ Mama (narrator) -- middle-aged African-American woman in rural South
○ Maggie -- narrator’s adult daughter, lives with her
○ Dee/Wangero -- narrator’s other daughter, member of Pan-Africanist movement
○ Hakim-a-barber -- Dee/Wangero’s boyfriend
4. Compare the characters Dee/Wangero and Maggie using the chart below. Pick three pieces of evidence per
character. Explain what each piece of evidence ​
says​
and s​
hows​
about the character.
Dee/Wangero
Maggie
Evidence 1:
Evidence 1:
Says:
Says:
Shows:
Shows:
Evidence 2:
Evidence 2:
Says:
Says:
Shows:
Shows:
Evidence 3:
Evidence 3:
Says:
Says:
Shows:
Shows:
5. For each character, pick one of the pieces of evidence above and explain why it ​
matters​
.
Dee/Wangero
Maggie
Evidence number:
Evidence number:
Why does this piece of evidence ​
matter? ​
What does this
character ​
symbolize​
? What kind of ​
message​
could she
represent?
Why does this piece of evidence ​
matter? ​
What does this
character s​
ymbolize​
? What kind of m
​essage​
could she
represent?
6. In the space below, brainstorm ​
TWO​
possible ​
themes​
for “Everyday Use.”
Writing Task:​
Choose a quotation from the story and write a 6-7 sentence paragraph that explains h
​ow that
quotation reveals the theme ​
of “Everyday Use.” Start your paragraph by identifying the theme, then use the quotation
to support your claim.