Which excerpt best represents the central conflict of "everyday use"?   "but they're priceless! " she was saying now, furiously; for she has a temper. "maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they'd be in rags. less than that! " "i used to think she hated maggie, too. but that was before we raised money, the church and me, to send her to augusta to school." "dee wanted nice things. a yellow organdy dress to wear to her graduation from high school; black pumps to match a green suit she'd made from an old suit somebody gave me." "you ought to try to make something of yourself, too, maggie. it's really a new day for us. but from the way you and mama still live you'd never know it."

"You ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie. It's really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you'd never know it."

Everyday Use by Alice Walker tells the story of a mother who reflects on the different life experiences her two daughters have, and her role in them. Maggie is a simple, traditional girl. She lives with her mother and wants to get married soon. Dee, on the other hand, has moved away and studied in college. She lives with a man who might not be her husband, and rarely sees her mother.

There are many themes that intersect in the story, such as race, home, family and tradition. These are well represented in the quote. The quote shows the different opinion of the world that Dee has developed, and how it clashes with her mother's and Maggie's view. It also shows the way in which tradition can be maintained or left behind. Finally, it expresses the difficulty the characters have in defining either "home" or "family," due to their different life experiences.