"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker: Imagery

      After finishing the short story, Everyday Use, I see the abundant usage of imagery woven in the lines of this piece.  Imagery enhances the story by evoking sensory experience. Author Alice Walker starts her work off by describing the yard as "so clean and wavy" (Walker).   From the start, the author carefully writes of each specific detail.  These particularized descriptions aid in bringing to life what is written in the text of this poem.  In my opinion, I actually feel as those I am blinded by Dee's dress of "yellows and oranges" (Walker).   Also, the read has more of an idea of what the personalities, opinions, and appearances of the characters are.  For example, at the beginning,  Maggie is noted as being "homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs" (Walker).  This imagery leads the reader to conclude that Maggie has been pyschologically damaged by her past, leaving her embarrassed of her looks.  In Everyday Use, imagery serves as a device that enables the reader to better understand the surroundings and individual thoughts of the characters.