After reading “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker and “Demeter’s Prayer to Hades” by Rita Dove, answer the following questions. In “Everyday Use,” we see a mother who is torn between the needs of two very different daughters. In a few sentences, describe Maggie and Dee (aka Wangero)- their physical attributes, and also their personalities. What is ironic or paradoxical (self-contradictory or absurd) about Dee’s efforts to connect with her African roots? (Look, for instance, at the very last thing she says to her family in this story.) This story always makes me think about some of the most famous museums in the world, like the Met or the British Museum- they contain artifacts from countries like Egypt, Iran, and any number of African nations which were, technically, stolen from these locations. They are displayed, preserved, and used to educate, but should they be in the museum in the first place? In your opinion, what is the best use for the quilts in the story- should Dee put them on her wall and preserve them? Or should Maggie put them to everyday use? In “Demeter’s Prayer,” what do you think it means that the speaker’s wish for Hades is “knowledge”? Demeter says “There are no curses, only mirrors” and so she can’t curse Hades, but she does say “Believe in yourself/ go ahead- see where it gets you.” Usually we say “believe in yourself” as a show of encouragement and positivity, but it seems to mean something else in this poem. Using the information you’ve learned about the myth of Persephone and Hades, why do you think Demeter sees “believe in yourself” as a sort of curse against Hades? Each of these texts- the poem and the story- are told from the perspective of mothers trying to protect their daughters. In a paragraph or chart (your choice) draw a little comparison & contrast between these two texts.

After reading “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker and “Demeter’s Prayer to Hades” by Rita Dove, answer the following questions. In “Everyday Use,” we see a mother who is torn between the needs of two very...

After reading “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker and “Demeter’s Prayer to Hades” by Rita Dove, answer the following questions.

In “Everyday Use,” we see a mother who is torn between the needs of two very different daughters. In a few sentences, describe Maggie and Dee (aka Wangero)- their physical attributes, and also their personalities.

What is ironic or paradoxical (self-contradictory or absurd) about Dee’s efforts to connect with her African roots? (Look, for instance, at the very last thing she says to her family in this story.)

This story always makes me think about some of the most famous museums in the world, like the Met or the British Museum- they contain artifacts from countries like Egypt, Iran, and any number of African nations which were, technically, stolen from these locations. They are displayed, preserved, and used to educate, but should they be in the museum in the first place? In your opinion, what is the best use for the quilts in the story- should Dee put them on her wall and preserve them? Or should Maggie put them to everyday use?

In “Demeter’s Prayer,” what do you think it means that the speaker’s wish for Hades is “knowledge”?

Demeter says “There are no curses, only mirrors” and so she can’t curse Hades, but she does say “Believe in yourself/ go ahead- see where it gets you.” Usually we say “believe in yourself” as a show of encouragement and positivity, but it seems to mean something else in this poem. Using the information you’ve learned about the myth of Persephone and Hades, why do you think Demeter sees “believe in yourself” as a sort of curse against Hades?

Each of these texts- the poem and the story- are told from the perspective of mothers trying to protect their daughters. In a paragraph or chart (your choice) draw a little comparison & contrast between these two texts.

Nov 03, 2021