This story is told by
Mama Johnson in a first-person objective point of view: this means that she is a participant in
the story's events and that she is narrating them, for the most part, after they occur. You can
tell this by the use of mostly past-tense verbs. Mama and Maggie, the quiet daughter, are both
honest and possess integrity, while Dee, Mama's other daughter, is the daughter who cares more
about appearances.
Mama and Maggie still use family artifacts in their daily
lives; they know who made what and when, and they actually possess the skills necessary to make
new artifacts, like quilts. Dee, on the other hand, never cared for her family, her home, or
their things until it became fashionable to embrace one's racial heritage. Only then does Dee
return for a visit and bring her partner.
Because the story is told by Dee's
mother, she can relate the personal history of Dee and the other members of the family, allowing
us to contrast Dee's former embarrassment of her family with her sudden, apparent, appreciation
for them (or, at least, their possessions). In addition, Mama has had time to reflect on her
relationships with both daughters as well as their behavior toward her and each other, and this
helps readers to see the contrast between Mama's (and Maggie's) candor and Dee's manipulative
behavior.
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