Literary criticism short stories

In doing so, the paper will bring to light the role played by parents in the life of their children, as displayed in the short stories where women figures make sacrifices to give their kin a better experience starting from education to social wellbeing. The short story of “Everyday use” has been narrated by a mother who has the most significant determination to provide for her daughters. Additionally, the narrator has the most exceptional parent-daughter bond. An important point to note is that as a narrator and a mother, she had divergent opinions with her daughter Dee concerning heritage to the point that Dee had to walk because she considered herself to be enlightened about the world after acquiring education (Webb, 21).

On the other hand, “A Rose for Emily” was been told by a collective narrator that gives a representation of the voices of all the population that lives in the city of Jefferson. Further, in the story, the narrator makes connections with what is portrayed in the story with civil war. There I an indication that the grandmother was too old to go to school by the time civil war came to an end to indicate that the prevailing condition was never conducive for learning, and they had to stay away from school throughout the warring period. Additionally, in the story, the main character is the old woman who has been described as a character with sheer determination and goes out of her comfort zone to ensure that her grandson was getting the best in life (Claxton, 87).

The assertion is that despite her old age and all odds being against her, she never gave up but instead embrace sheer dedication and determination out of her comfort zone to seek medication for her grandson. “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker and narrated from the first-person point of view by a mother shades light into the primary rivalry that is eminent in most families (Webb, 22). " The statement implies that education has made her have a sense of contempt towards her sister. The narrator makes a connection to civil war through the use of the quilt. The implication is that the narrator associates the quilt with the uniforms that were used during the civil war to bring to light an aspect of the African tradition and heritage for that matter.

An important point that is worth noting is that connecting the quilt with the civil war gives a revelation that Dee’s family members were against those who had subjected them to oppression for long, and that made him acquire the African name (Webb, 26). The main characters in the story who are Dee and the mother have been depicted as personalities who are not within their comfort zones and takes the next step to initiate a change in the environment. Additionally, she did not make any attempt to get out of the comfort zone until her death when she had no friends, and her situation was worse because she did little to change it. Conclusively, the three short stories are classic examples of family ties and the challenges that parents face in raising a family.