In "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, what is the main conflict?

belarafon

's "" is a classic short story from
1973.

The main conflict in the story is between
materialism, representing the New, and
tradition, representing the Old. The culminating event of the story
occurs at the end, when Dee, the materialistic sister, fights with her mother about the
distribution of family quilts:

"Maggie can't
appreciate these quilts!" she said. "She'd probably be backward enough to put them to
everyday use."

"I reckon she would," I said. "God knows
I been saving 'em for long enough with nobody using 'em. I hope she will!" I didn't want to
bring up how I had offered Dee (Wangero) a quilt when she went away to college. Then she had
told...

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