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Critical review of maya angelou
Critical review of maya angelou
Critical review of maya angelou
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Introduction This term paper was written to shine a little light on one of America’s extraordinary women, Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou started out in humble beginnings she was born on April 4, 1928. Maya Angelou's birth name was Marguerite Ann Johnson. Her birth place was St. Louis, Missouri. Ms. Angelou left her birth place as a young child after her parents had broken up. Ms. Angelou and her brother were sent to live with her fathers’ Mother in Stamps, Arkansas. Some may call Ms. Angelou’s 1969 autobiography ”I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing” her claim to fame, some may call her poetry her occupation, and more over there are still some that would like to call her Freelance writings Maya Angelou’s life’s work. Ms. Angelou was so much more. Ms. Angelou has been known for being a Civil Rights activist, a poet, a philosopher, a teacher, an Award-winning Author, an actress, a screenwriter and the …show more content…
Angelou passed away on May 28, 2014, leaving us with the message of never give up. To keep living, keep striving to keep moving on. It appears as if some women are inspired by others, as evidence by a life well lived. Ms. Angelou’s message is echoed throughout her life as stated. Ms. Angelou’s son stated, “She lived as a teacher, an activist, artist and human being. She was a warrior for equality, tolerance and peace”. (Italie, et al., 2014,) In 2013 Ms. Angelou, seventy-five years old, told The Associated Press, “I'm not modest I have no modesty; modesty is a learned behavior but I do pray for humility, because humility comes from the inside out." (Italie, et al., 2014,) In one interview Ms. Angelou was asked in what way does she handle people's reactions to old age, Ms. Angelou replied with,” the final verse of her poem on Aging, I'm the same person I was back then A little less hair a little less chin, a lot less lung, and much less wind, but ain’t I lucky I can still breathe in" (Younger, G. et al.,
Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928 as Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis. She was raised in segregated rural Arkansas. She came from a broken home. Angelou was raped at eight, and was an unwed mother at 16 years old (Williams 1). In spite of her tragic childhood, she still managed to become one of the greatest black poets of the twentieth century (Williams 1).
Maya Angelou’s life began in the small town of Stamps. At the age of three Maya and her Brother, Bailey, were dropped off at their grandmother’s house in Stamps by their parents. Maya lived her life as a store helper to her grandmother, Momma, and her uncle Willie. Her childhood was occupied by managing the store, going to school, and participating in cultural events. Maya’s went through many obstacles in her childhood such as the rape, desertion, and self discovery. Maya uses her relationships with other people to help her overcome the obstacles in her life.
The inspirational Marguerite Ann Johnson, better known as Ms. Maya Angelo was born on April 4, 1928 to her parents Bailey and Vivian Baxter Johnson. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Maya’s parents soon divorced when she was only three years old, resulting in her and her brother Bailey Johnson Jr. moving and staying with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. (Change-maker in black history: Maya Angelou). Her grandmother Annie Henderson was one of the most important, a pious woman who ran a general store in Stamps, Arkansas. (Moore, 1) Young Maya often dreamed about being a pretty little white girl and how she wished her hair was transitioned from her nappy roots to long, silky blonde. Her grandmother however instilled the importance of being proud of your race. Living during this time it was very common to want a better life of course, but this was one of the first known racial encounter Maya faced. Upon moving back to her mother at the age of eight, tragically, Ms. Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Revealing her rapist resulted in her uncles taking matters in to their own hands, which also resulted in the death of her mother’s boyfriend. By acknowledging the power of her tongue, this tragic encountered her to go mute for about five years. (Global Renaissance Woman) Mrs. Bertha Flowers was who was acknowledged and worked with Maya to speak again at the age of thirteen.
In her autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Angelou encounters many struggles, whether it pertained to others or herself. Throughout her life, Angelou experiences conflicts relating to self love, her weaknesses, and gender roles. Despite these conflicts, numerous female characters influenced Angelou and shaped her into the woman she was. All of these tie in with the gender/feminist literary lense.
The early 1930’s a time where segregation was still an issue in the United States it was especially hard for a young African American girl who is trying to grow and become an independent woman. At this time, many young girls like Maya Angelou grew up wishing they were a white woman with blond hair and blue eyes. That was just the start of Angelou's problems though. In the autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou goes into great depth about her tragic childhood, from moving around to different houses, and running away and having a child at the age of 16. This shows how Maya overcame many struggles as a young girl.
Thursby, Jacqueline S. "'Phenomenal Woman'." Critical Companion to Maya Angelou: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2011. Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 7 May 2014.
Angelou’s community rally around her and uplifts her value of education. An example of Angelou’s community supporting her in her educational ventures is displayed by the
Maya Angelou was put through a lot in her life other than being raped. That was not the only event that occurred that contributed to her writing of poetry. She was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. At a young age, Maya´s parent...
Given these points, Angelou’s widely use of devices, sentence length, and tenses allows the reader to capture the theme of her poem Men. Angelou shows how women are somewhat treated then and now. She lets the reader know that even after a man may have hurt a woman, a woman still would have a desire to go back to them because we are curious to know of them. She presents the idea that women are oppressed to men – women like Angelou who have had bad experiences with them. Overall, Angelou’s poem is like a story that presents men as head honcho over women and the affect that they bring upon
Thanks to her tenacity and considerateness this younger generation that I am growing up in can visit the past time and time again through her magnificent writings. Maya Angelo style of writing was very different from the many black authors I had read in the past. I say that because her choi...
The text in “New Directions” by Maya Angelou is about what a woman named Mrs. Annie Johnson went through as an African American mother of two in 1930; reveals how even when it seems as though all odds are against her, she persevered and eventually succeeded.
Maya Angelou's life growing up was not always perfect. Given the birth name of Marguerite Ann Johnson, Maya Angelou was borin in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4th, 1928. Although she was born there, she spent most of her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas with her Grandmother, Annie Henderson and in San Fransico, California with her mother. Maya Angelou is still living today and teaches at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Maya had to deal with many hard things growing up and although it wasn't perfect, she's lead a very eventful life.
Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Johnson in 1928, was an African-American author, poet, and civil rights activist. Born in St.Louis, Missouri and raised in the racist southern state of Alabama, Angelou as a young girl experienced firsthand racial prejudice, and she had many difficult experiences that led her into having strong emotions against racism and sexism. At seven years old, Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend and, as a result, she lost the will to speak. Also during this time period, segregation was common in majority of the states. After hearing Martin Luther King Jr., Angelou was drawn into the civil right’s movement which would help her make a difference by And to pursue this further, the issue of sexism was drawn to attention
While in New York she joined the society of black artists and writers, she read her work at the Harlem Writers Guild, and began to take part in the struggle of black Americans for their rightful place in the world. Her compassion and commitment led her to respond to the tough and bad times by becoming the northern coordinator of Martin Luther King's history making quest. A passionate, earthly woman, she promised her heart to one man only to have it stolen, practically on her wedding day, by a passionate African freedom fighter. The Heart of a Woman shows the joys and the burdens of a black mother in America during the late 1950’s and 1960’s. This story is filled with unforgettable accounts of famous characters, from Billie Holiday to Malcolm X. The Heart of a Woman encompasses all with Maya Angelou's powerful writing style, her warmest dreams, deepest disappointments, and her fond relationship with her rebellious teenage son. Vulnerable, humorous, tough, Angelou speaks with an intimate awareness of the heart within not only a colored woman but the heart within all of
The story of Angelou's life is one of brutal destruction. But it’s also one of hope and redemption. Her story just proves that when someone or something tries to shove you down get back up. I proved that by showing quotes and explaining how Angelou faced a large trail in her life and how she got right back up