What is the significance of the quilts to Maggie and her mother?

In the short story "EVeryday Use," the quilts symbolize
Mama's heritage. The quilts have been passed down from generation to generation. The
quilts have been sewn by loving hands of Mama's
ancestors.

When Dee decides she wants the quilts, Mama says
they have been promised to Maggie. Dee is upset by this. Indignantly, Dee states that
Maggie will use them for everyday use. Mama replies that that is exactly why she is
giving them to Maggie.

Mama cherishes the fact that the
quilts are precious heirlooms, but she wants Maggie to use them for the purpose that
they were made. Dee desires to hang them up as a item of decor. Mama has already
promised them to Maggie.

The quilts symbolize the hard work
and effort that loving hands have wrought. Maggie appreciates the quilts the way Mama
does. Dee is not connected emotionally with the quilts. She is superior now to her
humble upbringing:

readability="8">

Dee, on the other hand, has been ambitious and
determined since girlhood to rise above her humble
beginnings

She has detached
herself from her Southern heritage. She has separated herself from those who stitched
every single stitch in the quilts. Mama does not approve of Dee's attitude. Plus, she
had already promised the quilts to Maggie. Maggie appreciates Mama's sentiments on the
quilts.