Final answer:
Alice Walker employs the rural Southern setting in "Everyday Use" to illustrate the protagonist Mama's differing attitudes towards her two daughters, showcasing the contrasting values between preserving heritage through everyday use and appreciating it as art.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," details of the setting are used to convey the protagonist's, Mama, complex attitude toward her daughters, Dee and Maggie. The story is set in a rural Southern home, and Walker's use of this setting emphasizes the contrast between Dee's new urban identity and Maggie's traditional rural lifestyle. Mama's yard, which is described as an extension of her living room, represents a place of comfort and history for her and Maggie, whereas Dee sees it as representative of the poverty she has escaped. The quilts, which serve as a central symbol in the story, are cherished by Mama and Maggie for their everyday use and the histories they carry, while Dee desires them as cultural artifacts to display.