A Story by Alice Walker
Theme: We believe the theme of the story is related to harmony, respect and relationships between the family, and also the struggles within the African American culture.
Voice: Most of the story is in first person as mama tells the story, and there are certain parts where the story is more intimate as if someone was writing in his or her personal journal.
Mood: The atmosphere of the story is one of tension, jealousy, restrain, impotence.
Tone: The tone of the story is contemplative since the characters are always thinking and remembering things that happened and are going to happen.
Conflict
Inner:
Mama was trying to decide whether she let Dee have her way or not, knowing that if she let her she would be encouraging her daughter’s misbehaviour and if she didn’t they would get in a fight and Mama didn’t want that either.
Maggie against her insecurity didn't let her take action and express herself towards her sister’s wrong doings and she was just waiting for her to leave while keeping her feelings to herself.
Man vs man:
Dee against Mama when she didn’t fulfill all of her pretensions and she started lashing out at everyone, something that no one in the house liked.
Maggie against Dee who didn’t agree with the way she acted but was too insecure to say something about it.
man vs nature:
Mama’s motherhood nature that wanted not only the best for her children but also wanted to see them happy all the time leading her to mischieving Dee and being selfish or letting aside Maggie from time to time.
man vs society:
Dee against the prejudice that she is fighting for her family thinking she is spoiled. And also the racism that we can see through the story.
climax:
When Dee got into Mama’s room and asked her for the quilts which her past donw generation from generation but Mamam refused to give it to her because she had already promised to Maggie, and ofcourse Dee wasn’t happy about it.
resolution:
After the fight Dee leaves with her boyfriend.
change it in a few words:
Dee gets angry when Mama doesn't fulfill her quilts' pretensions and Maggie comes and tells her how wrong would it feel or be if it was the other way around, of course Dee didn’t get it and still left angry and lashed out but at least Maggie was able to express her feelings.
