Maggie and Dee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Maggie and Dee - Essay Example Her dress, in striking shades of yellow and orange and her confident glide of a walk reflect her personality and, along with the gold earrings and bracelets, call out loudly for attention. Her hair, with its’ deliberately accentuated African style, is a defiant statement of identity. Maggie, with her burnt and scarred limbs and thin body is a poor contrast to her attractive sister. She is dressed in a nondescript pink skirt and red blouse. She does not walk, but shuffles, â€Å"chin on chest, eyes on ground.† She has a â€Å"dopey, hang dog look,† which is further accentuated by her use of checkerberry snuff. The sisters’ physical appearances are almost caricatures of their personalities. Dee’s personality exhibits an aggressive confidence and an assertive, individual style. She can â€Å"look anyone in the eye† and not back down. She is resolute, well-spoken and spirited. She adamantly faces life on her own terms. Even her style of reading is pitiless and more of an imposition than a narration. She is as â€Å"sweet as a bird† when she customarily gets her own way. When thwarted, her anger and hatred show through. It is revealing that she has a caustic humor, â€Å"that erupted like bubbles in lye,† and many admirers, but no friends. On the other hand, Maggie’s personality reflects her rather fatalistic acceptance of her inferior standing. Her scars, of which she is ashamed, have further undermined her confidence. She is shy, â€Å"stands hopelessly in corners,† hides behind doors and is nervous of strangers, backing away sweating and trembling in alarm from ‘Asalamalakim.’ When Maggie reads, she â€Å"stumbles along good naturedly†: the sister’s respective reading styles reflect their personalities. Dee’s attitude towards her identity as a black woman is to flaunt it as a badge of defiance to the world. She takes pictures of the house and her family, as if they were curiosities. For all the ostentatious