How does the point of view of "Everyday Use" help determine its meaning (theme)? Explain.

In Alice Walker’s story, the point of view is extremely important to the theme. The mother is telling her own story and that of her daughters, which fits perfectly with the theme of generational differences among African American women. Mamma includes her own thoughts and feelings but also reviews both her daughters’ life histories before Dee arrives home for a visit. The reader sees differences in the way that women of different generations understand their own identity and place in the world.
Another important theme is education and socialization. Dee has more opportunities, not only to study but to meet people, in Augusta, the city where she is attending college. Mama anticipates that this daughter will have broadened her horizons. Despite her own vivid imagination—including their appearance on a television show—she stops far short of envisioning Dee’s transformation. In addition, Maggie has remained at home and has not attended college. She is engaged and will soon be married. Maggie, according to her mother, is not smart. The reader understands that she sees the world differently than her sister does, but Walker limits our perspective on the sisters’ relationship; it is always filtered through the mother. While Mama appreciates certain aspects of both daughters, she has more warmth for Maggie, most likely because she feels this daughter needs her mother more.
As the theme of intergenerational relations in one family extends to changing American society more generally, the mother’s limited insights are also important. Her shock at Dee’s new name, hair, and clothes, and at her interpretation of "heritage," are understandable. But Mama does not only stand for adherence to traditional ways. She also represents the repressive aspects of white cultural dominance that the older generation of black Americans cannot push aside on their own. When Mama imagines them appearing on television, she herself has lighter skin, as well as being “witty.” The interviewer would be Johnny Carson. She does not imagine herself as she is, dark-skinned, or that there could be a black host (and certainly not Oprah!). As she dismisses this image, she admits that she could never look “a strange white man in the eye,” but Dee could. Although her mother sees that Dee, no matter what name she uses, is going through a phase, she also knows that Dee’s resolve will be crucial in effecting change: “Hesitation was no part of her nature.”