Dee and Maggie definitely take two alternate routes, although not by choice. Maggie has been damaged in a fire which the speaker hints that Dee may have set. Because of this, Maggie is not as outgoing, confident, or attractive physically as Dee. She remains home and learns all the "homeschooling" that young ladies typically learned during this time--cooking, quilting, sewing, making butter. Many of these skills she learned from her grandmother who has passed on. While Maggie is not educated as Dee is, she is engaged to be married and has been promised her grandmother's quilts as part of her dowry. She is very in touch with her heritage and knows the story behind every quilt, piece of handmade furniture, and family member.
Dee, on the other hand, is gorgeous, selfish, pretentious, and consumed with Africa. She is condescending to her mom and Maggie because they are ignorant country people who know nothing of their "heritage"...meaning Africa. She comes waltzing in from college dressed in brightly-colored African costume, and accompanied by her male friend who thinks the way she does. She treats her family as if they know nothing about the value of the family's quilts, the butterchurn, etc. She says it's horrible that Maggie will use these items for "everyday use" when they are valuable antiques. She accuses her family of not being in touch with their heritage when she is the one who can not cook, quilt, sew, or make butter.
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