The mother in the story worked extremely hard to raise Dee and her sister. The mother even went out of her way to send him to college even though she didn't really have any money and had to get help from the church. Dee returns from college with a new personality who tries to tell her mother and sister what they are doing wrong. She is described as not being a good role model because she does not appreciate what people do for her. Dee has become a very materialistic person since returning from college. She wants the things her mother kept from her ancestors. Dee wants these things because she wants to decorate her house with them. Dee even goes through her mother's trunk to find other things like her grandmother's quilt. Dee wants these items because she wants to show off her heritage, but her mother wants to give them to her sister who will actually use them. Dee is described as not being a good role model because she is a very materialistic person instead of seeing the value in things. Dee Johnson is not a very good role model. Growing up, she felt really ashamed of her heritage and where she came from. She was the first in her family to go to college. Finishing her studies made her feel superior to her family. When she finishes college, she becomes an arrogant, unappreciative, and materialistic person..