I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich.

Teenage Wasteland
I am confident in saying that Daisy is trying her hardest to be a good mother; her intentions are good. When Daisy is called to the Principal’s office and “learns” that her son has been foolish, reckless, disruptive, and noisy, she immediately feels embarrassed. Daisy feels as if the Principal is criticizing her parenting skills. I feel sympathy towards Daisy as she struggles to figure out how Donny has turned out to be a delinquent even though she doesn’t let him watch TV or talk on the phone on school nights. Because she feels guilty for not raising Donny to be a better student, she takes all of Mr. Lanham’s suggestions. She wants her son to succeed and she will sacrifice some things in her life in order for Donny to improve in school. She begins working with Donny on his assignments every night; however, she ends up ignoring her daughter, acting rudely to her husband, and starting dinner late almost every night. The school calls Daisy and her husband, Matt, again. As they sit in the Principal’s office, I can’t help but feel déjà vu. Again, Daisy feels self-conscious about herself and her parenting skills as she sits in front of Mr. Lanham. Daisy and Matt send Donny off to Cal, the tutor. Daisy decides that she must put away her beliefs, her instincts that Cal cannot help Donny, so that her son may one day be a more stable happy teenager. Because she feels that it is her fault her son is rebellious and unsuccessful—that maybe she didn’t establish Donny’s self-worth with enough praises—she continues to send Donny to Cal, despite the bad reports. She continues to trick herself into thinking that Cal is the right thing for Donny. Daisy believes every word that comes out of Cal’s mouth. Unfortunately it is at this point in the story, when I become disappointed with Daisy. Instead of being mad at Cal who seems to make Donny retrogress, Daisy gets angry at anyone who mistrusts her judgment in sending Donny to a tutor. When Miss Evans calls and asks Daisy to start overseeing Donny’s homework, Daisy calls Miss Evans a “narrow woman” (55). We cannot solely blame Daisy’s bad judgment as a direct cause of Donny running away because Daisy’s actions stem from her insecurities. We must also look at Cal as taking advantage of Daisy’s vulnerabilities and love for her son. Cal continually guilt-trips her, saying that Daisy doesn’t trust Donny enough and that is why Donny is the way he is. I think that the most accurate and appropriate opinion on Donny’s problems is that of Miss Evans. “You are the parent,” Miss Evans says to Daisy (44). She clearly points out that Daisy needs to take control of the situation and be the parent she should be, instead of putting her responsibility in the hands of Cal.

Everyday Use
In many stories I have read, the new modern beliefs are always seen in a better light than the old rigid ideals. For example, in the Breadgivers by Anzia Yezierska, Sara’s idea of accomplishing the American Dream and going to college is more attractive than her Talmudic father’s ideas that women should stay at home, cook, clean, and care for their husbands. In Everyday Use, this concept is completely the opposite. Walker portrays Dee, the trendy well-educated daughter, as self-centered. In the beginning, Dee enthusiastically comments on the bench’s rump prints and calls the hand stitched quilts priceless treasures. Without even asking her family, Dee just assumes she can take anything she wants. However, in the eyes of Dee’s family, the quilt and the churner are items for everyday use. Dee looks at the items as her stepping stone to becoming a cool, exotic, afro-wearing woman. She does not look at items as having any sentimental value to her family. She thinks about their monetary value and their “cool-factor” value. It is ironic because Dee chooses to change her name to Wangero and is embarrassed by her family’s home, yet she wants to use her family’s quilts and butter churn as “art.” As she tries to gain possession of these items, she is disrespectful to her family. She calls Maggie’s brain an elephant brain and calls her mother backwards for not understanding her desires. In reality, it is Dee who should try to understand her family. Her family has been there for her. Her family has nurtured her so that she could be a top student and get the education she deserved. Nevertheless, Dee just sucks in anything anyone gives her and doesn’t give back; she takes more. In the end, Mother stands up to Dee, snatches the quilts out of Dee’s hands, and hands the quilts to Maggie. It proves that education doesn’t mean anything unless the person has the right attitude and is respectful of others, especially family and heritage. (816)