What is the meaning of this excerpt from "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker?In real life I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands. In the winter I wear flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day. I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man. My fat keeps me hot in zero weather. I can work outside all day, breaking ice to get water for washing; I can eat pork liver cooked over the open fire minutes after it comes steaming from the hog. One winter I knocked a bull calf straight in the brain between the eyes with a sledge hammer and had the meat hung up to chill before nightfall. But of course all this does not show on television. I am the way my daughter would want me to be: a hundred pounds lighter, my skin like an uncooked barley pancake. My hair glistens in the hot bright lights. Johnny Carson has much to do to keep up with my quick and witty tongue. A. Dee and her mother look and act exactly alike. B. Dee is ashamed of how her mother looks and acts. C. The mother wishes that she looked and acted like Dee. D. Dee is proud of her mother’s capabilities. E. Dee wishes to be exactly like her mother.
Question
What is the meaning of this excerpt from "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker?In real life I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands. In the winter I wear flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day. I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man. My fat keeps me hot in zero weather. I can work outside all day, breaking ice to get water for washing; I can eat pork liver cooked over the open fire minutes after it comes steaming from the hog. One winter I knocked a bull calf straight in the brain between the eyes with a sledge hammer and had the meat hung up to chill before nightfall. But of course all this does not show on television. I am the way my daughter would want me to be: a hundred pounds lighter, my skin like an uncooked barley pancake. My hair glistens in the hot bright lights. Johnny Carson has much to do to keep up with my quick and witty tongue. A. Dee and her mother look and act exactly alike. B. Dee is ashamed of how her mother looks and acts. C. The mother wishes that she looked and acted like Dee. D. Dee is proud of her mother’s capabilities. E. Dee wishes to be exactly like her mother.
Solution
The excerpt from "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker is a first-person description of the narrator's physical appearance and lifestyle. She describes herself as a large, hard-working woman who is comfortable with tasks typically associated with men, such as killing and cleaning a hog. She also mentions that she can withstand harsh weather conditions due to her size. However, she contrasts this with how she appears on television, which is a more glamorous and refined version of herself. This is how her daughter would prefer her to be - lighter, with smooth skin and shiny hair, and a quick wit to match Johnny Carson's.
From this description, the answer to the question would be B. Dee is ashamed of how her mother looks and acts. The mother's description of herself on television is a reflection of how Dee wishes her mother would be, implying that Dee is not proud of her mother's actual appearance and lifestyle.
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