Alice Walker utilizes the first person perspective to create a deeper bond with readers and enrich our comprehension of Mama’s standpoint within the narrative. Through presenting the story through Mama’s eyes, we are taken on a journey that initially seems like a simple tale revolving around a Black woman, her two daughters, and a mysterious quilt.
Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that Mama’s role as the storyteller goes beyond focusing solely on a Black woman, her two daughters, and a quilt. Instead, it serves as a depiction of the enduring legacy of Black women, with the quilt representing the intertwined generations of history within that legacy.
Mama’s storytelling highlights the internal struggles she faces as a Black woman with a history of oppression. As the story progresses, we witness her changing perspective on her daughters’ identities and the importance of their heritage and the quilt. In the end, Mama is faced with a difficult decision about which daughter should receive the quilt.
Mama is a strong, capable, and independent single Black woman who describes herself as a “large, big-boned woman with rough man-working hands.” She emphasizes how hard she works around her property, often comparing herself to a man engaging in masculine tasks such as killing and cleaning hogs, wearing flannel pajamas, and using a sledge hammer to kill a bull calf. Despite her second-grade education and certain lacking qualities, Mama takes pride in the practical aspects of her nature.
Mama has two daughters who are very different from each other. Her younger daughter Maggie lives with her and Mama describes her as having a clumsy walk and not being as attractive as her older daughter Dee (Par 9). On the other hand, Dee is educated and Mama considers her to be more beautiful and with better physical features than Maggie (Par 10). It seems that Mama has a higher opinion of Dee. In the beginning, Mama frequently mentions Dee and rarely speaks highly of Maggie. She even dreams about Dee and imagines reuniting with her on a television show hosted by Johnny Carson (Par 5&6).
She quickly returns to reality because her daughter Dee, although not frightened to confront anyone, would never be willing to make eye contact with a white man. This gives us an understanding of Mama’s upbringing and the oppressions faced by Black people throughout history. Mama does harbor resentment towards Dee for behaviors like embarrassment of their origin and constant desire for better things. However, Mama also seems to admire Dee in many ways, as she represents everything Mama never was and possesses qualities Mama can never attain.
In this passage, Mama’s contrasting feelings towards her two daughters are explored through first-person narration. This insight into Mama’s thoughts allows us to comprehend the basis for her eventual breakthrough. Mama’s perspective notably shifts when Dee returns home, sparking a clash of opinions about heritage between Mama and Dee. Upon her return, Dee brings along a man named Asalamalakim and declares that she has changed her name from Dee to Wangero. It becomes apparent that Dee/Wangero is actively involved in the Black Power movement of the time.
Mama was taken aback and astounded by the discovery that Dee had altered her name. Mama clarified that Dee no longer wished to be connected to the individuals who had oppressed her. Mama divulged that Dee’s name originated from her aunt, who received it from their grandmother (Par 25-30). This event marked Mama’s initial realization of the significance of heritage. Throughout the day, Dee expressed a desire to possess the milk churner and utilize it as a centerpiece for her table. Maggie knew precisely who crafted it and comprehended its worth, even though Dee was unaware of its origins.
While holding the milk churner, Mama takes a moment to reflect on its significance. She notices the sinks in the wood, remnants of years of usage. Mama realizes that the churner was made from a beautiful tree in the backyard of her sister Big Dee and her first husband Stash’s former home (Par 54). Through first person narration, we gain insight into Mama’s profound emotional connection to these objects and their historical importance to her family.
Through the use of first person narrative, we, as readers, are able to directly experience Mama’s emotions and witness her character development. The breaking point for Mama occurs when Dee expresses her desire to possess the quilt that has been handed down through multiple generations. It is not so much that Dee wants the quilt, but rather her lack of understanding regarding its true value. Dee claims that she wants to display the quilts on the wall in order to preserve their heritage and history, rather than allowing Maggie to use them on a daily basis and potentially damage them. However, Dee does not possess a true understanding of the quilts’ history, despite what she may claim. To Mama, the quilt symbolizes fragments of memories and the passing down of history from her great grandma’s era. Initially, Mama planned on giving Dee the quilts and even offered them to her, but Dee declined at that time. Dee incorrectly believes that the quilt consists solely of pieces of her grandmother’s dresses, when in reality it represents bits and pieces of clothing and fabrics from all previous generations. When Mama touches the quilt, she can feel the profound history and heritage that it carries.
Previously, she may not have fully grasped its significance, but now she is beginning to comprehend it. I observed her intently. Her lower lip was filled with checkerberry snuff and her face bore a somewhat foolish, downtrodden expression. It was Grandma Dee and Big Dee who instructed her in the art of quilting. Standing there, she concealed her scarred hands within the folds of her skirt. With a feeling of uneasiness, she glanced at her sister, yet harbored no anger towards her. This was Maggie’s portion. This was how she believed God operated” (Par 75). Mama experiences an epiphany in this passage.
When Mama looks at her daughter Maggie, she sees a mix of emotions – pity and echoes of her own mother and sister. She also sees the heritage that Maggie has inherited, which has been passed down from Mama and her sister. This heritage is symbolized by the hand-woven quilt, which represents the love and history of Mama’s family. While Dee once rejected both the quilts and the name of the women who came before her, Maggie proudly displays the heritage that Mama recognizes in her. Despite being burned and scarred, Maggie is not ashamed or filled with hate.
Despite having reasons to be jealous and angry with her sister, the speaker is not. Although she may lack the same physical attractiveness, intelligence, and prosperity as her sister Dee, she takes pride in her roots and appreciates the inheritance bestowed upon her. She actively employs the items crafted by her ancestors in her daily life. While some individuals may merely use a quilt or churner as decorative pieces, showcasing their heritage without truly understanding their significance, others like the speaker utilize these objects practically – sleeping with the quilt and churning butter with the churner until both items are worn out – all the while fully comprehending their true value.
Through Mama’s narration, Alice Walker showcases the realization of pride in one’s heritage and the identification of the more deserving daughter for the quilt. This emphasizes the significance of heritage for an oppressed community in comprehending their history and the values attached to mundane objects.
Dee is inadvertently embodying the stereotype of the oppressed Black person by romanticizing her heritage without truly grasping its true significance. On the other hand, Mama and Maggie now grasp the profound meaning of their heritage and its embodiment in the quilt. This realization influenced Mama’s decision to eventually reclaim the quilt from Dee and bestow it upon Maggie. Consequently, if Alice Walker had employed a different perspective in writing this story, it would be effortless to overlook and fail to comprehend the immense impact of this seemingly straightforward narrative.
