Family Ties

There is a point in everyone’s life where they want to become more independent. For most people, this comes during the teenage years and continues through college. Many college students realize that they are the soul decided when it comes to important situations. For some this is stressful but for many it is relieving. In the story Everyday Use, Dee shows that she has become independent form her family. It seems as though she wants to throw away all ties she has with her family and her past. Dee and myself have very different ways of asserting our independence. I believe it is important to have ties with family background while Dee seems to ignore this part of her history.
Throughout the story, Dee can easily be characterized as rude, arrogant, and inconsiderate. Her motive is to get the quilts that she believes belong to her. She does not realize the value these quilts have because she is too busy creating her own meaning for them. In the past years, Dee has gone off to college and learned that she wants to be different from the rest of her family. She does not want to be part of her heritage. She changes her name because it has very strong family ties. At the end of the story, she tells Maggie that she can do better and does not have to stay on the farm. I believe Dee’s ideas about independence are extreme. I respect the fact that she wants to be something other than what her family has brought her up to be but I believe it is important for her to recognize where she came from. I could not imagine completely disassociating myself from my family. I believe it is important to remember everything a family does for one another. Dee should thank her family for helping her recognize the person she wants to be.
Thus far in my college experience, I have been trying to become more independent by not relying on my parents for answers for all of my problems. I use what they have taught me to make better choices. I believe that my parents and sister have shaped the person that I am today. I have great respect for my family’s background and recognize where I have come from. I have a desire to find who I am; however, I do want to keep the ties I have with my family. I make sure that I keep in touch with my family. I call my mom everyday just to talk about day to day life. I usually talk to my dad about school and my future. I talk to my sister about issues in my life and in her life. I could not imagine not having my family as a support system as I try to find my independence.
It is vital for people to discover their independence; however, I believe it is unnecessary to completely disassociate one’s self from their family background. Although Dee wants to be different from her upbringing, she should recognize where she came from because it has helped shape her persona. It is important to recognize family as a support system and not as oppression.