Names are also symbols of heritage in the story "Everyday Use." Mama, the narrator of the story, names her older daughter Dee. However, when Dee, who is better educated than her mother and younger sister, Maggie, comes to visit, Dee says her name is now Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. Dee claims that the name Dee is symbolic of her oppression, so she takes an African-influenced name. In abandoning her name, Dee also abandons family tradition. She is named after her aunt Dicie, Mama's sister. Her aunt was named after her Grandmother Dee, who was named after her mother. The name "Dee" goes back in the family to the Civil War. By changing her name, Dee is abandoning her family's traditions and heritage. Her mother can't even pronounce her daughter's new name, and it's as if Dee doesn't appreciate the value of what came before her.
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