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What symbol is critical to the theme of heritage in “Everyday Use"?

The Johnson family quilts are a crucial symbol to understand heritage in this story. For Mama and Maggie, these quilts are meant to be used, just as heritage is something that continues to exist and is alive in the present. Dee, on the other hand, considers the quilts to be representative of a heritage that is in the past. She thinks the quilts should not be used as they were intended; instead, they should be preserved and displayed. Mama and Maggie do not put their heritage on display; rather, they live it by using these quilts (as well as other items that have been handmade by members of the family through the years) every day; this accounts for the story's title, "Everyday Use." Dee thinks it's "backward" of Maggie to use the quilts because they will fall apart, but Mama and Dee believe it only makes sense to use them and remember the people who made them (Dee doesn't even know the family stories). Although Maggie and Dee both appreciate the quilts, they see those quilts—and the concept of heritage—quite differently.

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