What Does Maya Angelou Symbolize

Maya Angelou was told many messages throughout her life. She was told she wasn’t good enough, she was told she couldn’t become anything she wanted to become, and she was told she didn’t belong. The reason behind most negative things she was told in her life had nothing to do with who she was as a person on the inside. They had nothing to do with what she had previously done, previously accomplished, where she lived, or her age. The only thing holding her back, according to most of society when she was growing up, was the fact that she was black and because of that, she didn’t deserve everything white people did. Maya was determined to not be beaten down by any of these things that others said against her. Maya Angelou chose to be a warrior

and to fight for what she wanted and because of her determination she was able to accomplish many things, one of which was becoming the first black streetcar conductor. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou portrays racism and how people struggled against it with a tone of determination.
Maya faced many examples of racism throughout the chapter including discrimination from the receptionist at the streetcar work office and from other members of society. Maya was not one to give up easily even though, looking in from the outside, she had many reasons to do so. Right away when Maya decided to get out of the house and get a job, she received opposition from her mother. Mother wanted her to achieve it, but she told Maya that, “They don’t accept colored people on the streetcars.” (Angelou 265). Maya convinced Mother that she could accomplish it and with that she was off to get a job. When Maya got to the receptionist’s desk, the lady there was extremely kind to Maya and while she acted as if she wanted Maya to get the job, she said she could not give it to her. The receptionist was not deliberately telling Maya that she wasn’t allowed to work there because she was black, but there was racism hidden behind every word said. “Hidden racism” was occurring because, like a ripple effect, racism made such a big impact on society that even as they tried to escape from their negative ways, it was still the elephant in the room. Examples of this type of racism were becoming more common. It was first seen by many of the teachers at George Washington High School where Maya was treated kindly by most everyone, but in a way that made it seem like blacks were incapable of achieving or doing anything no matter how simple and mundane. Maya said, “I went further than forgiving the clerk, I accepted her as a fellow victim of the same puppeteer.” (Angelou 267). The “puppeteer” mentioned by Maya Angelou in this quote is racism. Another example of racism can be seen when Maya said that black teenage girls were hit with “masculine prejudice, white illogical hate, and the black lack of power during their tender years.” (Angelou 272). Racism affected everyone in the world whether they were the oppressed or the oppressor, and this led to the struggle against racism.
The struggle against racism is shown by Maya when she decided to not quit and chose the pain of working today to achieve her dream rather than enduring the pain of failure.

After first getting on the train Maya said in her head, “I WOULD HAVE THE JOB. I WOULD BE A CONDUTORETTE AND SLING A FULL MONEY CHANGER FROM MY BELT. I WOULD.” (Angelou 268). Through this quote, Maya showed her determination to overcome discrimination. Throughout the story, Maya and people in her community struggled against racism to overcome it and Maya chasing after the clerk and demanding the job is one example. The struggle against racism is also seen when Maya cut classes after realizing that she has different priorities than the rest of her classmates and that she will never be able to learn all she needed to at George Washington High School. In her struggles against racism Maya showed a tone of

determination.
Throughout the chapter, Maya Angelou has a tone of determination.

For Maya’s entire life, she had faced racism and had to deal with it. When Maya decided to get a job, she was determined to overcome anything in her way, even if it meant lying about her age on her resume. She used the oppression as fuel to the fire to encourage her to continue on and fight for what she desired. During a conversation with Mother, Maya said that Mother knew, “That I was no glory seeker was obvious to her, and that I had to exhaust every possibility before giving in was also clear.”(Angelou 268). Throughout the chapter Maya talked about times when Mother dished out aphorisms any time Maya needed to be encouraged or uplifted. Mother once said “God helps those who help themselves.” (Angelou 269). Her own words also prove that Maya was committed to reaching her goals and she pursued the job for the next three weeks with “a honeycomb of determination.” (Angelou 268). Maya Angelou’s tone of determination comes through in her words, her actions, and her ability to separate who she is from the labels that society puts on her.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings powerfully tells the story of racism and the struggle against it with a tone of determination. Maya Angelou daily faced a world that wanted to define who she was based on exterior qualities. She made a daily decision to be who she saw herself to be and to struggle against the racism that surrounded her. With a tone of determination, she overcame

racism and reached her goal of becoming the first black conductorette. This determination sparked her dream, fueled her fight, and led to her success.