Why does Dee take pictures of the house?

Maggie and
her mother use family heirlooms for their practical purposes as well as the for the connection
they feel to their ancestors. Dee (Wangero), on the other hand, wants some of these items for
purely aesthetic purposes. Dee might actually think she is paying homage to her ancestors in
this way, but her intent to display these items as cultural artifacts seems quite superficial.
When she asks for the butter churn, she intends to use it as a centerpiece rather than as a tool
for making butter. And, of course, Dee wants the quilts for display purposes as well. She wants
to display her family's heritage like an explorer who has returned with items from a more
"primitive" culture, showing these items like trophies. There is something superficial
and even mocking in this gesture.

When Dee emerges from the car and starts
taking pictures, she is doing the same thing. She wants to document her family's quaint,
primitive way of life to show the pictures to her more "modernized" friends. Dee is
not wrong for being progressive, but she clearly misses the point of the real value of something
like a family quilt or their way of life. The quilt represents family connection. The different
pieces are sown together. Maggie would use the quilt as a bed cover, every day, literally and
figuratively connecting her to her ancestors. Dee doesn't get this. She would rather take a
picture of it.