Independence

In Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” the oldest daughter Dee has gone to college and is attempting to assert her independence. I think that it is really important for everyone to figure out who they are and find their independence but I also think that there is a right and wrong way to do that. As a freshman in college I, like Dee, and gaining my own independence and there are some similarities between Dee and I but there are also many differences.
Since I arrived here in August I have become much more independent. I am now responsible to getting myself up and going to class, doing my homework, doing my own laundry and also much more financially responsible for myself. All of these things contribute to me finding myself and my independence. In some ways I am similar to Dee in that we both want to be more responsible for ourselves and for our future. We both are searching for some kind of independence from other including our families. Though we are similar we are also different, Dee’s search for her independence is, I think, very selfish and irresponsible. Though we all want to be independent I don’t think it is right to completely cut others out especially your family. We all are our own people but the people that we are is very much influenced by our family. Our families make us who we are as individuals and give us the opportunities to find out who we are. In her search for her identity Dee changes her name to more reflect what she thinks is her heritage. She doesn’t realize though that her name already did reflect her heritage. Even her interest in her heritage is not because she really cares it’s because it is the last trend. I believe that the individual that Dee has become is not who she really is at all it is who she decided to be, a person she thinks is trendy and appears very sophisticated and intelligent. I don’t think anyone can know themselves without knowing and appreciated where they came from. Dee thinks that she knows this but she doesn’t really. I also think that Dee is far from independent, her idea of independence is so influenced by others that she becomes very dependent on others an there opinions. I think the ways I am finding my independence are very influences and tied to my family. If it weren’t for them teaching me that school is important, that I need to save my money etc. I wouldn’t be able to do these things on my own. That is really the difference between Dee and I, my independence has a lot to do with my family and her has everything to do with getting away from her family.
Overall, independence is very important for everyone to find in order to live a full life and be a well rounded person. While I have very specific ideas about what is right and what is wrong when doing that, It is something that everyone has to go about their own way.