The main
conflict in 's short story "" might be seen as the choice that the mother needs to
make in how she treats her two very different daughters. To me, the mother-as-narrator calls
attention to her central role in the main conflict, and the use of the phrase "everyday
use" calls attention to the two daughters' different views of the quilts and other family
heirlooms.
As might be expected in this conflict, the reader is prompted to
take sides, too. I have the strong impression that most readers side with Maggie and believe
that she, not Dee, truly knows how to value the family heirlooms and the heritage that they
represent. All it takes are a few questions, though -- such as "Is it always wrong
to protect unique and irreplaceable quilts from the wear and tear of 'everyday use'?" or
"Is it always wrong to leave home when you grow up and to make deliberate, conscious
changes in how you live your life?" -- to challenge the oversimplified view that one
daughter is correct and the other is wrong in all things.
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