The plot of the story revolves around establishing different interpretation and understanding of African-American heritage. The story was portrayed in a narration style which was done by the mother. The story revolves around a mother, two daughters and a companion of one of the daughters who was considered as a Black Muslim. At first, the mother likes the daughter named Dee since the latter knows her style at a young age. Together with other outgoing characteristics, the mother also praised her daughter Dee because of her vibrant character. However, at the end of the story the mother gave to her other daughter named Maggie the quilts that symbolizes African American heritage since she saw something in the eyes of the latter that she never saw before. All throughout the story, there was a question on to whom the quilts will be given by the mother. But in the end it was given to Maggie who knew very well her heritage. The setting is significant to the meaning since giving analysis about educational heritage through a short story is highly effective.
The reliability of the mother’s character motivates the reader to think that a family member who questions educational improvement of the child is a stressful situation on the part of the daughter. However, it is more reliable if other people outside the family could narrate the story and could point out the differences of heritage. It makes the family of the character Dee very irreconcilable in terms of differences in heritage. Yet, despite the choice of the writer to use the mother as the narrator, it was all effective by means of deciding as to whom the quilts which is a symbol of African American heritage will be given.
There are three major characters of the story and these are the mother, Maggie and Dee which are her daughters. The minor character is a person named Hakim who is a companion or a friend of Dee. The main character of the story is Maggie since she was the one who really knew her heritage. She was just simple yet knowledgeable of her culture and past. She knew the historical relevance of the quilts and dasher of which her mother showed to her. Maggie is not selfish as she patiently deals with the way her mother treated her at first compared to her sister Dee. Maggie never changed her attitude in the story until such time that she was loved by her mother over Dee. There was something in her eyes that the mother never saw before. That was the reason why she was chosen to own the quilts that represents her heritage.
On the other hand, Dee is also an important character. She was a person who is so selfish and idealistic. She loves style on her clothes and things. She is vibrant and cunning such that her mother loved her ways at first. However, Dee never understood her heritage. The quilts that she wants to own appear to be abstract on her part. She has a friend named Hakim who is a barber and a Black Muslim. Dee was not that educated and also used other name aside from her American name. The character of Dee is not sympathetic and is not open to bonding with other people. Personally, I represent the same character as I chose to be selfish than agree with the ideas of other people. But unlike Dee, I know my heritage well and never feel envy and pride against other family members. The last major character is the mother which was otherwise known as Mama. Mama loves Dee at first because of her vibrant character. She dislikes Maggie because she is too shy and incompetent. The mother was the narrator of the story and the one who decided that the quilt which is a symbol of African American heritage must be given to Maggie.
There many symbols used in the story. The first one is the quilts; the next is the dasher and the attitudes of the characters. The background of the story is actually about the existence of the Black Power Movement so many years ago. The character of Dee which was portrayed in such a way that she knew nothing about the past of her family meant disregard for its American heritage. Her idealistic nature represents her dislike of the American heritage that was the roots of her personality. She only considers her African heritage that is supposed to be only a part of her existence. The story talks more about Dee who denied her American heritage. It also gives attention to how the mother chooses between her two daughters whom to give the quilts for safekeeping. The central theme of the story is the conflict or competition between the two daughters about the ownership of the quilts. I understand that all throughout the story, there was a display of how heritage should be understood and valued by the characters in order to be considered as sympathetic and proper. Finally, the best part of the story is when the mother noticed at last the fine qualities of Maggie. It was good that the quilts were given to her by her mother.