“Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave”
Born as Marguerite Johnson on April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in St. Louis and Stamps Arkansans, Maya Angelou became one of the most renowned and influential voices of her time. Multi-talented barely seems to cover the depth and breadth of Maya Angelou's accomplishments .She was an author, actress, screenwriter, dancer and poet. In Angelou’s work a lot of thoughtful reflections are going on. By the mean of writing, Angelou replicates concepts like identity, personal individuality and the self. Living a life packed with the influence of racial discrimination and gender inequalities, Angelou seems to have a natural drive to obtain greater …show more content…
The first autobiography ‘’I Know why the Caged Bird Sings’’ unravels a number of questions posed in regards to feministic reading. Questions such as whether the characters of main focus are strong, aware females, whether these females bond with each other in the pervasive patriarchal social order, and whether the themes developed through the book have direct relevance to women. The essential and fundamental theme of feminism is motherhood, therefore Maya Angelou, who divulges her story as a granddaughter, daughter and finally as a mother herself, impersonates various stages of feminine development, hereby making the Caged Bird a feminist writing with motherhood topic as it’s cornerstone. The stubbornness and determination of little Maya to keep silent for five years after being raped at the age of eight, constructs the firm and powerful character of Angelou. The topic of female bonding relations is significant in the Caged Bird. Maya would have never become a writer without Mrs. Flowers, who she develops a close relationship to and who helps Maya to read and to regain her voice. Consequently is Flowers also a symbol of feminism, as she is self- respectful, financially independent, caring and helpful of other women, including young Angelou. The book finishes with Maya returning home and reuniting with her mother, thereby completing her …show more content…
She talks directly about her feminine sassiness and sexiness, makes straight physical references to her body. Despite the subject of sexism being sultry and somewhat indecent, Angelou succeeds in depicting it with pride and grace. The reader is left with the very convincing impression of the authors powerful ‘I’. ‘I’ as a black American female, who despite being defeated, will always, against all odds find enough strength within to rise and celebrate her integrity. Furthermore, her poem “Phenomenal Woman’’ is a rather franc anthem to feminism. Starting by depicting her not so attractive physical appearance “I’m not build to suit a fashion model size’’ author directly contrasts it to her powerful, very self- assured inner self “Phenomenal woman. That’s me’’, creating a strong adversative effect. The strong visual imagery is used in expressing her physical femininity “the curl of my lips/ It’s in the fire in my eyes/ The sun of my smile/ The span of my hips’’ again playing the crucial role in illustrating a powerful, very confident woman. She certainly draws readers attention to the phenomena of the phenomenal woman itself, as she emphasizes it by proudly repeating ‘’I’m a woman/ Phenomenally./ Phenomenal woman, /That’s me.’’ at the end of each stanza and in that way consolidating the meaning
Born as Marguerite Johnson on April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in St. Louis and Stamps Arkansans, Maya Angelou became one of the most renowned and influential voices of her time. Multi-talented barely seems to cover the depth and breadth of Maya Angelou's accomplishments .She was an author, actress, screenwriter, dancer and poet. In Angelou’s work a lot of thoughtful reflections are going on. By the mean of writing, Angelou replicates concepts like identity, personal individuality and the self. Living a life packed with the influence of racial discrimination and gender inequalities, Angelou seems to have a natural drive to obtain greater …show more content…
The first autobiography ‘’I Know why the Caged Bird Sings’’ unravels a number of questions posed in regards to feministic reading. Questions such as whether the characters of main focus are strong, aware females, whether these females bond with each other in the pervasive patriarchal social order, and whether the themes developed through the book have direct relevance to women. The essential and fundamental theme of feminism is motherhood, therefore Maya Angelou, who divulges her story as a granddaughter, daughter and finally as a mother herself, impersonates various stages of feminine development, hereby making the Caged Bird a feminist writing with motherhood topic as it’s cornerstone. The stubbornness and determination of little Maya to keep silent for five years after being raped at the age of eight, constructs the firm and powerful character of Angelou. The topic of female bonding relations is significant in the Caged Bird. Maya would have never become a writer without Mrs. Flowers, who she develops a close relationship to and who helps Maya to read and to regain her voice. Consequently is Flowers also a symbol of feminism, as she is self- respectful, financially independent, caring and helpful of other women, including young Angelou. The book finishes with Maya returning home and reuniting with her mother, thereby completing her …show more content…
She talks directly about her feminine sassiness and sexiness, makes straight physical references to her body. Despite the subject of sexism being sultry and somewhat indecent, Angelou succeeds in depicting it with pride and grace. The reader is left with the very convincing impression of the authors powerful ‘I’. ‘I’ as a black American female, who despite being defeated, will always, against all odds find enough strength within to rise and celebrate her integrity. Furthermore, her poem “Phenomenal Woman’’ is a rather franc anthem to feminism. Starting by depicting her not so attractive physical appearance “I’m not build to suit a fashion model size’’ author directly contrasts it to her powerful, very self- assured inner self “Phenomenal woman. That’s me’’, creating a strong adversative effect. The strong visual imagery is used in expressing her physical femininity “the curl of my lips/ It’s in the fire in my eyes/ The sun of my smile/ The span of my hips’’ again playing the crucial role in illustrating a powerful, very confident woman. She certainly draws readers attention to the phenomena of the phenomenal woman itself, as she emphasizes it by proudly repeating ‘’I’m a woman/ Phenomenally./ Phenomenal woman, /That’s me.’’ at the end of each stanza and in that way consolidating the meaning