Heritage is one of the most important factors that represents where a person comes from. In Alice Walker's “Everyday Use,” this narrative characterizes not only the symbolism of heritage, but also separates the difference between what heritage actually means and how it can be represented. As the story progresses, an African-American family is revealed to be living in a small house and struggling financially. Dee is an educated woman who struggles to understand her family's legacy because she is embarrassed by her mother and sister, Mama and Maggie. Unlike Dee, Mom and Maggie don't have an education, but they understand and appreciate their family's background. In “Everyday Use,” Dee's quilts, crafts, and transformation help the reader interpret that Walker has exposed heritage symbolism in two distinct points of view. The quilts play an important role in representing heritage symbolism because they point to Dee's family origins. For example, all significant members of the Dees family have pieces of their fabric sewn onto quilts as a reminder of who they were and their importance in the family. However, Dee overlooks important aspects of her family's history because she does not see the quilts made by her ancestors as precious, handmade pieces of fabric that should be passed down and cared for to keep their history alive. As Mom stated, “In both of them were shreds of clothes that Grandma Dee had worn fifty-odd years ago. Bits and pieces of Grandpa Jarrell's paisley shirts. And a tiny, faded blue piece, about the size of a penny matchbox, that came from great-grandfather Ezra's uniform that he wore during the Civil War. (1129). Despite her family's history, Dee continues to misinterpret the... medium of paper... for those generations. Dee is educated and represents a modern generation that represents freedom because she chooses to leave her rural home and start a different lifestyle, where she represents African culture and plans to marry a man of her choosing. However, Mom represents an older generation where she is not a confident, educated African American, but believes deeply in her heritage because it is one of the last valuable possessions she owns and represents the work her family has experienced. Despite this, the heritage is a beautiful reminder of where people come from and distinguishes the struggle their family has undertaken to continue their legacy, but also to create a new life. Works CitedWalker, Alice. "Daily use." Literature for composition. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto and William E. Cain. 10th ed. New York: Pearson, 2014. 1125-1131. Press.