Maya Angelou Foils

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Young children tend to grow up through the influence of an adult's actions or lessons, so it is important to set an acceptable example for them. Adult actions can deeply impact a child while they are growing, and it eventually evolves their prospective identities as adults. In Maya Angelou's heartwarming novel, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou utilizes her foil characters throughout Maya's blossoming to represent the significance of an adult figure's influence and how it can heavily impact a child's essence both positively and negatively. The first set of foil characters that greatly impact Maya's growth is the wicked, Mr. Freeman, and the affectionate Mrs. Flowers. Beginning with Mr. Freeman, he had scarred Maya's childhood by committing an …show more content…

Through Momma's actions, Maya discovers, "Whatever the contest had been out front, I knew Momma had won." Angelou. Maya understood Momma's lesson and felt heavily influenced by her impact. Maya's identity is altered to become a resilient girl who won't yield to the racial actions that may happen to her in the future. Thus, Momma had succeeded in affecting her daughter through her actions to positively impact her identity as a resilient African American girl against the racism that lives within her society. Maya Angelou's foil characters exhibit that an adult's actions or lessons can transform a child's self-identity in innumerable ways. Identity plays a critical role in a child's development, and it will stay with them endlessly throughout their growth. Children's identities can be shaped through the adult's actions. Negative actions can lead the child to negatively change, or positive actions can allow the child to uncover their true self. An adult's lessons can persist throughout their life and gain insight into themselves and the society they live

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