Skip to main content

What kind of person is Dee? How does Maggie feel about Dee?

Dee is a self-centered person who is used to getting what she wants. Maggie "thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that 'no' is a word the world never learned to say to her," and she seems to be right.  Dee had hated their old house; it burned down. "Dee wanted nice things," and she got them when it was possible. Mama and the church saved money to send...

Dee is a self-centered person who is used to getting what she wants. Maggie "thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that 'no' is a word the world never learned to say to her," and she seems to be right.  Dee had hated their old house; it burned down. "Dee wanted nice things," and she got them when it was possible. Mama and the church saved money to send her away to school. Before this, however, Mama says, "She used to read to us without pity; forcing words, lies, other folks' habits, whole lives upon us two, sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice. She [...] burned us with a lot of knowledge we didn't necessarily need to know."  Dee seems to have enjoyed lording her superior knowledge and abilities over her family.


Now, when she returns home, Dee wants to take items that the family still uses -- the butter dish, the churn top, the dasher.  She even wants the quilts that have been promised to Maggie.  Upon being denied them, Dee lashes out, calling Maggie "'backward'" and insisting that Maggie can't appreciate them.  When Mama remains resolute, physically putting the quilts in Maggie's lap, Dee leaves the house in a huff, angry and appalled at having been told "no" for once.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...