"Gorilla, My Love" "For Everyday Use" "Girl"

Each of these three stories represents two different generations: the older generation and the newer generation. All three of these stories are embedded with family members who are overbearing and often assume that they are smarter than younger kids (older generation) and the children who do not understand them (newer generation). One example, in "Everyday use," the mother is determined to do things her way because she has been around longer than Maggie and knows more about the value of the quilts. I think the struggles between the generations represented in these stories are mainly because the older generations want to protect the younger generation with their wisdom. For example, in "Gorilla, My Love," Hazel talks of how her parents will not let anyone treat their children badly and how her mom is always giving her advice and dosen't back off so easily from any confrontation involving her kids.

I think that most of these stories are applicable for most families. Many present day families are full of controlling parents who just want to "spread their wisdom" from their life expreriences to protect their children. For example, in "Girl," the mother's demands and advice are just the result of overwhelming love for the child. Her mother just wants to protect her and ensure that she grows up the way she desires her to do so. In reality, advice will guide the children, but it cannot ensure that they will grow up the way their parents want them.