Acceptance is one of the most basic yet elusive human rights. Emerging as a recurring theme in many forms of media, from cinema to literature, is an echo of the desire to satisfy this basic need. Carefully constructed into a beautiful literary quilt, Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" is an excellent example of the search for acceptance. Walker uses a definitive tone, a deeply focused first-person point of view, and powerful imagery, to put together this heirloom-quality tale, highlighting the incomparable need for acceptance within the family circle and, by extension, from the world as a whole. As the story unfolds, the narrator is challenged to disdainfully tolerate her daughter Dee, who renames herself the rebellious Wangero. This is a tall order due to Dee's seemingly unreasonable and elitist attitude. His other daughter, Maggie, survived a harrowing childhood experience, yet still manages to exude a practical and loving altruism, which sometimes leads her to acquiesce to her brother's will and wishes. With the mother's reactions to the girls' contrasting personalities, Walker makes it easy to discern the light tone throughout the tale. Although she wishes things were different between her and Dee, illustrated by her daydreams of having a happy reconciliation with her daughter in a "This Is Your Life"-style reunion in which "Dee hugs [her] with her tears in his eyes" and pins a beautiful orchid to his mother's dress; the true enlightening nature of their relationship is quickly discovered. The reader is rudely awakened to the fact that, despite her mother's apparent passion for orchids, in real life, Dee will surely let her know that "she... for whom we are as best we can; or perhaps to see how much they may need our acceptance. Finally, we must allow Walker's images of awakening the senses to bring to life any instances we are exposed to that may require giving or needing acceptance. When we choose to look beneath the surface of this short and simple story, we will inevitably find the well-hidden treasures of a definitive tone, the strategic use of first-person point of view and rich imagery; keys that can unlock the author's generosity of knowledge, experience and wisdom valuable can accompany and enrich us in our quest to find, give, and receive true acceptance. Works Cited Walker, Alice. "Everyday Use: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Writing. Ed. XJ Kennedy and Ed. Dana Gioia. 11th ed. New York: Longman, 2010.455-461. Press.