Everyday Use

Dee had come home with her husband on what seemed a spur of the moment trip. Both had changed quite dramatically. They came off in the story as a couple of beatnik wannabe’s who thought they knew everything and were more important than their family. Dee had changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo which sounds like a traditional African name. Her husband changed his name to Asalamalakim which also sounds like a more traditional African name. Her mother seemed a bit shocked when Dee told her she had changed her name, but decided to accept it. Dee thought her name her mother gave her was because of the white slave owners naming their slaves to oppress their African Heritage. When in reality her mother named her after her family members and said it was a family name that had been passed on for many generations and may have gone as far back to when her family was in Africa.

This piece shows my understanding of this unique story.