The Duboisan Concept Of Double Deciousness In Graduation By Maya Angelou

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In Maya Angelou's, Graduation, the protagonist Marguerite gains awareness of herself and others through the Duboisan concept of double consciousness. She realizes that she must reconcile her own perception of herself with the unflattering perception society will also possess of her. Marguerite is having a double consciousness doing the whole ceremony. According to W.E. Du Bois double consciousness ¨is the sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity¨ . As the speaker speaks she realize that America is not going to see her as she sees herself. She realize that the color of her skin will stop her for doing a lot of things, also that …show more content…

As she listens to the speaker she started to think about the opinions of others regarding her. She thought to herself, ´´It was awful to be a Negro and have no control over my life¨. It was in that moment she realized that others do not see her as she sees herself. To them she's just a another black person in the world, but she does not see herself as that. The emotions that she's is feeling at this moment is unrealistic. She feel as if the people of her skin color is at the bottom,and doing that time she was right. Doing that time blacks could not do anything, they was treated poorly and still today they aren't receiving the rights they should be getting. She feels as if there's no point in getting this diploma, but then another speaker gets up. When the speaker gets up the first thing she notices is that he is black, and she ends it with this quote, "We have come over a way that with tears has been wanted, we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered¨. Suddenly, she started to feel that blacks are back on top. She expresses that sentiment when she states, "we were on top again, as always again. we survived." She thinks that no matter what blacks always overcome any obstacle that comes in their way. This is a sharp contrast from what she was thinking earlier. At first she was thinking it wasn't beneficial to be black because of the racism she would have to face the rest of her life. Then its a sudden change when she hears the black speaker and she feel like blacks will always

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