Final answer:
The theme of social pressure manifests differently in Mama, Maggie, and Dee. Mama feels the pressure to uphold traditions; Maggie is content and connected to her heritage; Dee seeks change, education, and a new identity, reflecting a societal push to move beyond her roots.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the story, the theme of social pressure is expressed uniquely through the characters of Mama, Maggie, and Dee. Mama, as the matriarch, feels the pressure to uphold her cultural heritage and preserve the family's traditions. This is evident in how she values the family quilts and the way she has raised her daughters. Maggie, being shy and less worldly, is depicted as someone who is more content with the simplicity of her life and does not seek change in response to societal pressures. She is connected to the traditions of her family, which is why she values the quilts as part of her heritage, and not as mere artifacts.
Dee, on the other hand, demonstrates a direct reaction to social pressure by reinventing herself, as seen in her name change and desire to claim the family quilts as a form of cultural expression. Her pursuit of a new identity and her education symbolize a break from her past and the societal push to move beyond her roots. This suggests a possible conflict between progress and tradition, and the pressures to conform to contemporary standards of cultural identification. Dee's demand for the quilts, in contrast to Maggie's sentimental attachment to them, highlights their different responses to the pressures of identity and heritage.
Mama ultimately sides with Maggie, valuing the direct lineage and personal attachment to the family heritage over the external representation of culture that Dee embodies. This decision reflects Mama's response to social pressures: recognizing the importance of fostering a genuine connection to one's heritage rather than yielding to the performative aspects of culture championed by society at large.