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Maya angelou life story
A brief biography on maya angelou
A brief biography on maya angelou
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Maya Angelou is an iconic figure in civil rights but is also an inspiration to not just African men and women but to all people. When I read “I know why the caged bird sings” I thought she was just another person telling her hardships that she faced as a child and how she has changed but I was mistaken she was more than that. Maya has so many great qualities about her but the one that shined brightest was that she was optimistic. To start off Maya states “our parents had decided to put an end to their calamitous marriage, and Father shipped us home to his mother.”(1) This example shows how the rug was taken right under her and kept going even when she felt lost on why she was sent off from her parents. To explain further Maya then lived with her grandmother and uncle Willie in Stamps Arkansas where there was segregation all over she didn’t even know how a white person looked like at the time. She then states “I couldn’t understand whites and where they got the right to spend money so lavishly.” “Of course, I knew God was white Maya and her father set off to Mexico to pick up some things for dinner. Her father got really drunk and she didn’t know what to do, she needed to get them somewhere to sleep. So she took the initiative and made a negative into a positive she drove feeling frightened at first but then realized what is there to be afraid there were some bumps along the way but nonetheless did it by remaining optimistic. Quoting “As I twisted the steering wheel and forced the accelerator to the floor I was controlling Mexico.”(238) Another example of Maya showing optimism was when she decided to get a job to be become a streetcar conductor and the first black lady at that. Maya was told that they weren’t hiring for those positions but later explained in the morning papers she later spoke to the manager remained optimistic and eventually did she became the first black lady streetcar
In this research paper, we focus on the Maya Angelou’s life. The author is being researched for her history, life, best-known works, and their relevance in the classroom. Maya Angelou is a well-known poet, storyteller, activist, and autobiographer.
While reading "Courage Courses through Maya Angelou's story; Writer and activist agrees social problems persist" by Fish Griwkowsky. Maya Angelou is a very strong individual, not physically but mentally. Her life struggles and the strength she was able to maintain through those devilish times of her life made her the successful person she is now. She worked hard enough to become an iconic writer, poet, even in front of major films as an actor/filmmaker. Only hard work and dedication can get people where they want to be in life. Maya Angelou took risks and sacrifice, those hard times she went through gave her the strength to be successful. (Griwkowsky)
Overall Maya Angelou is one of the most influential writers out there. She can appeal to all audiences. No matter your age or race Maya Angelou has something to offer everyone. You may not understand the things she says at first but when the time is right, it will all make sense in the end.
Maya Angelou's writing career began during the late 1950's, around the same period when the Civil Rights Movement began to take place. Maya's known for one f her most famous poems, I Know Why The Cage Birds Sing. This poem is basically talking about how the birds in the cage are the African Americans/Blacks, where they have no freedom. "The free bird leaps on the back of the wind/and floats downstream till the current ends/And dips his wings in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky."(Angelou, 1-3) In the beginning , of this poem Maya Angelou is using the free bird to refer to the white people because they have all the rights and the blacks are stuck in "the cage" with no rights or freedom. Also, she could have a more positive aspect meaning that the free bird is the Black American dream coming to reality. After, being in ...
What makes a phenomenal woman? A phenomenal woman she was, Mrs. Maya Angelou truly inspired and touched people all over the world with her art and wisdom. On April 24, 1928 in St. Louis Missouri Maya Angelou was born as Marguerite Ann Johnson, I know what your thinking how did she get her glorious name Maya Angelou; well she was given the name Maya Angelou in her early twenties, after her first performance as a dancer at the Purple Onion cabaret. Growing up Angelou had stable parents her mother was Vivian Johnson a nurse and realtor, her father was Bailey Johnson and he served as a naval dietician. In about 1931 her parents relationship would resort to a divorce leaving her younger brother and she to live with their grandmother in Stamps in
In her autobiography, Maya Angelou tells the story of her coming into womanhood in the American South during the 1930s. She begins with the story of an incident she had on Easter Sunday in which she’s in church reciting a poem in front of everyone; however, she messes up leaving her unable to finish the poem, so she runs out of the church crying and wets herself. Growing up her parents had a rough marriage, and eventually they got a divorce when Maya was only 3 years old. Their parents send her and her older brother Bailey to live with their grandmother Mrs. Annie Henderson in Staples, Arkansas. Staples is a very rural area and their grandmother owns the only store in the black section of the town, so she is very respected amongst the people
A long time ago I believe it was on April 4, 1928 when my best friend Maya was born. Maya and I lived in the town of Stamps, Arkansas with her grandmother due to the divorce of her parents. During these awful years at the age of 7 Maya went to visit her grandmother when she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. After this due to the hatred her uncle killed her mother’s boyfriend. She became so traumatized by all of this that she even stopped talking. During this time Maya and I became great friends for you see Maya loved to write and well I was her tool the one object that made her happy as you may already know I am a pencil her best friend. She had a tough childhood but she never gave up she had me. I remember on her most hard nights she would grasp me and write out all her feelings and emotions was her escape and it’s just amazing to know how much you have helped a person. Also where we lived in Stamps, Arkansas was hard because Stamps was a rural and segregated environment. It’s really tough living somewhere where you are not treated equally. She never let go of me I was that person that was there throughout all her struggles during some of the toughest years in her life. I still remember the day she started to write her autobiography with is really known now a days t is called “I know why the caged bird sings” which talks about how her life has been since she was small all the way to the age of 16.Also at the age of 16 I remember when this little boy arrived he just cried and cried I wish I could help him just as I helped Maya but well he was a baby boy Mayas baby boy named Guy. During these times “I know why the caged bird sings” became very popular actually one of the best sellers. Maya and I have ...
Maya Angelou is an author and poet who has risen to fame for her emotionally filled novels and her deep, heartfelt poetry. Her novels mainly focus on her life and humanity with special emphasis on her ideas of what it means to live. The way she utilizes many different styles to grab and keep readers’ attention through something as simple as an autobiography is astounding. This command of the English language and the grace with which she writes allows for a pleasant reading experience. Her style is especially prominent in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", where the early events of Angelou’s life are vividly described to the reader in the postmodern literary fashion.
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’s excerpt from her book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” reveals the challenges facing a young black girl in the south. The prologue of the book tells of a young Angelou in church trying to recite a poem she has forgotten. She describes the dress her grandmother has made her and imagines a day where she wakes up out of her black nightmare. Angelou was raised in a time where segregation and racism were prevalent in society. She uses repetition, diction, and themes to explore the struggle of a black girl while growing up. Angelou produces a feeling of compassion and poignancy within the reader by revealing racial stereotypes, appearance-related insecurities, and negative connotations associated with being a black girl. By doing this she forces the
Literary texts are a powerful medium with memorable messages (dpcdsb.org). “I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature” (Maya Angelou). When people select a text to read, they may not realize the significant impact it can have on their lives (dpcdsb.org). Maya Angelou’s work affects society and influences a reader's thoughts in a positive way because it connects with the people, influences society, and it inspires the people to express themselves by writing.
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.
The book thus explores a lot of important issues, such as: sexuality and race relations, and shows us how society violated her as a young African American female. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou clearly expresses the physical pain of sexual assault, the mental anguish of not daring to tell, and her guilt and shame for having been raped. Her timidity and fear of telling magnify the brutality of the rape. For more than a year after the rape she lives in self-imposed silence, speaking only very rarely. This childhood rape reveals the pain that African American women suffered as victims not only of racism but also sexism.
Maya Angelou is a well acclaimed poet, author, and civil rights activist. Though she passed away in 2014, her work continues to awe and inspire people worldwide. Angelou had written numerous poems, but in this analysis I will be focusing on “Caged Bird,” “Phenomenal Woman,” and finally “Touched by An Angel.” In these works we see her approach issues such as equality, racism, feminism, love and many more issues as well. Angelou is a very skilled poet; though some people find her work too straight forward and little more than common text broken into stanzas. Maya Angelou 's poems are easy to understand; and though I do enjoy her work, I find that how she structures her poems can be confusing
Throughout I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, racism is a frequent obstacle that non-whites had to overcome. When Maya is young, she doesn’t recognize the racism and discrimination as well as her grandmother does. As Maya gets older, she begins to recognize and take notice to the racism and discrimination towards her and African Americans everywhere. Maya may not recognize the racism and discrimination very well at her young age, but it still affects her outlook on life the same way it would if she had recognized it. The racism and discrimination Maya faced throughout I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, affected her attitude, personality, and overall outlook on life in a positive way.