A Study of Dee’s Identity Awakening in Alice Walker’s Everyday Use

Abstract

Focusing on the character Dee in Everyday Use, this paper carries out an in-depth analysis of the specific manifestations and causes of her identity awakening. In terms of clothing style, Dee shifted from pursuing a modern style to embracing African traditional styles. She also changed her name to an African one and transformed her attitude towards the house and quilts that carry African cultural elements from disdain to cherishment. All these changes indicate her identity awakening. A further analysis reveals that three factors contribute to her identity awakening: education enabled her to understand Black history and culture; social movements inspired her sense of rights and cultural awareness; and self-reflection prompted her to reconstruct her cultural identity. This study not only reveals the close connection between cultural identity and individual consciousness but also provides a new perspective for interpreting the cultural connotations of literary works, thus helping us further explore the cultural values hidden in it.