Maya Angelous African American Dream - 2503 Words

Maya Angelou and her African American Dream Maya Angelou is one of the most distinguished African American writers of the twentieth century. Writing is not her only forte she is a poet, director, composer, lyricist, dancer, singer, journalist, teacher, and lecturer (Angelou and Tate, 3). Angelou’s American Dream is articulated throughout her five part autobiographical novels; I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Gather Together in my Name, Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getting’ Merry Like Christmas, The Heart of a Woman, and All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes. Maya Angelou’s American Dream changed throughout her life: in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya’s American dream was to fit into a predominantly white society in small town†¦show more content†¦Louis. The man who assaulted her was her mother boyfriend, who was later found dead. He was â€Å"kicked to death† the same night of the incident (Bloom 3). The inci dent concluded with five years of silence for Maya (Eller, 2). Maya’s rape incident was compared to the suffering of the African American community in the South during the 1930’s and 1940’s. Edward Eller, an assistant professor of English at Northeast Louisiana University writes that; â€Å"Just as the child had to give in to her rapist because she has no choice but to endure and survive, the blacks had no choice† (Eller, 2). The fight for Maya to fulfill her American Dream of finding a home, and being accepted into American society goes hand in hand with the fight for civil rights for the African American society. Eller states that Angelou’s voice through her literature showed African Americans that they could overcome racism and segregation; â€Å"Because Angelou shows us we can do more than endure. We can Triumph† (Eller, 2). Young Angelou along with the blacks in the South were looking for a place to call home, together they search ed for a place where they belonged, were they fit in. In the last chapters of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings; Angelou is maturing, and her life completely changes when she graduates from high school, and becomes the first woman streetcar conductor in San Francisco. During the summer of 1945 at age 16, Angelou gave birth to her son, only oneShow MoreRelated Maya Angelou: A Source of Humanity Essay1329 Words   |  6 PagesMaya Angelou: A Source of Humanity I am human, Angelou said, and nothing human can be alien to me (Shafer). Maya Angelou just may be the most human person in the world. Indeed, with all of the struggles she went through in her early life, her humanness increasingly deepened. Her life was characterized by the instability of her childhood and her family, along with the challenge of being a black woman growing up in 19th century America. The deepness of her humanness is evident in allRead MoreThemes Of The American Dream748 Words   |  3 PagesIndividual Freedom: The American Dream One of the most widely explored themes in American literature is the concept of the American Dream. Many well-known works of literature display this theme prominently, such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, and â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King Jr. All three of these examples feature individuals who defy what society expects of them in favor of pursuing lives of their own choice, and as a resultRead MoreStill I Rise1036 Words   |  5 PagesStill I rise Favorite Poem Essay Maya Angelou’s poem Still I Rise is an astonishing piece of art. The reason I chose this poem is because it’s not only a poem, it’s a story. The poem is about Maya Angelou’s beliefs being a women of color about discrimination. It’s not just her personal story but a universal experience for those with an African American background. Throughout the poem, Maya Angelou uses many poetic devices to give us more in-depth meaning behind what is in the poem. These poeticRead MoreAn Essential Factor For African American1636 Words   |  7 PagesPersistency: An Essential factor for an African American Racial and educational inequalities were abundant in all aspects of life for African Americans in America during most of the 20th century. Separation became the new motto for all of America even years after the end of slavery. With the contribution of Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, and Malcolm X, equality for blacks was made possible. It is invariably true that persistence is demonstrated in the works: â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† byRead MoreMaya Angelou Diction1188 Words   |  5 PagesThe memoir written by Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, is a personal and ultimately reflective narrative that presents readers a slew of scenarios fueled by racism and racist people. It brings to light the life and upbringing of an African American girl who is plagued with the knowledge that her people are constant victims of prejudice; all while she struggles within herself over her image and very identity. Many reminders of both ailments are placed throughout the b ook using a literaryRead MoreMaya Angelou : An Influential Voices Of Modern Society Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesMaya Angelou, born Marguerite Ann Johnson on the 4th of April 1928, was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in Stamps, Arkansas. Maya Angelou is regarded as one of the most noteworthy, influential voices of modern society with over 50 doctorate degrees. She became a distinguished poet, educator, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, memoirist, and civil rights activist throughout her life. In the 1930’s and 1940’s, Stamps, Arkansas was the embodiment of brutality and racial discriminationRead MoreAnalysis Of Still I Rise By Maya Angelou917 Words   |  4 Pagesinspiring poem written by Maya Angelou, she delivers a powerful message from within to provide her African American ancestors an opportunity to rise above segregation and racism. Maya Angelou expresses her pride throughout the poem and describes different hardships in her past. Angelou inc orporates her past experiences, powerful views, and over comings while also expressing the tone regarding her pride, feminist values, strong confidence, and close ties with African American ancestry to create a timelineRead MorePoetry Is The Spontaneous Overflow Of Powerful Feelings1752 Words   |  8 PagesMissouri USA in 1928, the African American poet Maya Angelou was brought into a white male dominated world made to abnegate her existence as anything of value. At the age of eight, she became victim to the social hierarchy which saw her raped. Too traumatised to speak out, Maya shared her distraught with her brother which soon resulted in the death of her rapist. It was at this stage of her life that Maya realized the power of her words and as a result became mute for 5 years. Maya later found herselfRead MoreStill I Rise1705 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Still I Rise† Poem Analysis â€Å"Still I Rise† was written by Maya Angelou, who is an African-American poet. A majority of her poems are written on slavery and life as a African- American woman. â€Å"Still I Rise† is one of the many well known. She discusses how she is treated differently and refers to her ancestry and relates to events they went through during the time of slavery and the events she continues to go through during her time period of life. â€Å"This poem has been an inspiration to peopleRead MoreAnalysis Of Still I Rise By Maya Angelou1080 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger†, this famous quote means that whatever suffering you are going through it will make you tougher and wiser. Still I rise is a poem written by Maya Angelou, an African American poet and a civil-rights activist. This poem was written around the civil rights movement, when people where being segregated by their race. Throughout this poem we are shown the thoughts and feelings people have displayed against her, but she will not let them get her down. Her dark