Maya Angelou Rising Above Social Struggles Analysis
Maya Angelou: Rising Above Social Struggles
Author of an autobiographical series, countless essays and stirring poems, a civil rights activist, dedicated actor and producer, skillful dancer and singer, and great cook, Maya Angelou is an inspiration to every person, regardless of his age, gender, race, or status in life. Maya Angelou, an African-American, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but was sent to Stamps, Arkansas, with her brother Bailey, to live with their grandmother (King 5). During her childhood, Stamps, where she was raised, was completely segregated both socially and economically. This meant that Maya and her people would never be able to make their ends meet just as the White people did. Moreover, Maya was with her parents, …show more content…
Throughout much of her childhood, Maya remained rejected in a racist society, but she was also abandoned by her mother and father. She might be taken back by her parents after a while, but she was neglected by them, her mother always at gambling parlors, and her father constantly drowning himself in women and parties. For instance, Maya was forced to run away and live alone in abandoned cars because of his father’s irresponsibility. In addition, Maya’s stay in San Francisco turned into nightmare when her mother’s boyfriend, Mr. Freeman, raped her (King 15). This incident became the reason for Maya’s “voluntary mutism” that lasted for five to six years (Johnson 34), and insecurity about her sexuality. Nonetheless, she overcame these difficulties as she regained her voice through self-education and formal training; she was able to graduate with top honors from the Lafayette Country Training School. Finally, she defeated the psychological consequence of the rape: development of negative images about her body and thoughts about being lesbian, by being able to lure a handsome young man into an experimental sex with her (Johnson 35). Aside from Caucasians, Maya Angelou also endured abandonment, carelessness and brutality, which she eventually …show more content…
Maya Angelou was in her early 20s when she had been deprived of good roles in showbiz because people in power always chose white performers; however, Maya was patient and persistent. She was rewarded for her hard work, was chosen to be a member of a musical that would tour Europe (King 32), and the next thing she knew, greater opportunities came pounding on her door (Gillespie, et. al 43). Maya was given the role of the White Queen in Jean Genet’s play, The Blacks, where the colonized imitated their oppressors taking their worst traits. This served as the way for Maya to express her contempt to mean white women and brutal white men who had often injured her and her people (Gillespie et al. 64). Furthermore, Angelou became a member of Harlem Writer’s Guild, where she discussed and debated issues concerning African independence and the Black liberation struggles at home and abroad (Gillespie et. al 49). The freedom train was gathering speed and Angelou was eager to get on board. She and her fellow talents wrote and produced a show, Cabaret for Freedom, to raise money for Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights organization (Gillespie et. al 55). Through performing and writing, Maya Angelou fought against injustice and abuse not only for herself, but for all the
Author of an autobiographical series, countless essays and stirring poems, a civil rights activist, dedicated actor and producer, skillful dancer and singer, and great cook, Maya Angelou is an inspiration to every person, regardless of his age, gender, race, or status in life. Maya Angelou, an African-American, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but was sent to Stamps, Arkansas, with her brother Bailey, to live with their grandmother (King 5). During her childhood, Stamps, where she was raised, was completely segregated both socially and economically. This meant that Maya and her people would never be able to make their ends meet just as the White people did. Moreover, Maya was with her parents, …show more content…
Throughout much of her childhood, Maya remained rejected in a racist society, but she was also abandoned by her mother and father. She might be taken back by her parents after a while, but she was neglected by them, her mother always at gambling parlors, and her father constantly drowning himself in women and parties. For instance, Maya was forced to run away and live alone in abandoned cars because of his father’s irresponsibility. In addition, Maya’s stay in San Francisco turned into nightmare when her mother’s boyfriend, Mr. Freeman, raped her (King 15). This incident became the reason for Maya’s “voluntary mutism” that lasted for five to six years (Johnson 34), and insecurity about her sexuality. Nonetheless, she overcame these difficulties as she regained her voice through self-education and formal training; she was able to graduate with top honors from the Lafayette Country Training School. Finally, she defeated the psychological consequence of the rape: development of negative images about her body and thoughts about being lesbian, by being able to lure a handsome young man into an experimental sex with her (Johnson 35). Aside from Caucasians, Maya Angelou also endured abandonment, carelessness and brutality, which she eventually …show more content…
Maya Angelou was in her early 20s when she had been deprived of good roles in showbiz because people in power always chose white performers; however, Maya was patient and persistent. She was rewarded for her hard work, was chosen to be a member of a musical that would tour Europe (King 32), and the next thing she knew, greater opportunities came pounding on her door (Gillespie, et. al 43). Maya was given the role of the White Queen in Jean Genet’s play, The Blacks, where the colonized imitated their oppressors taking their worst traits. This served as the way for Maya to express her contempt to mean white women and brutal white men who had often injured her and her people (Gillespie et al. 64). Furthermore, Angelou became a member of Harlem Writer’s Guild, where she discussed and debated issues concerning African independence and the Black liberation struggles at home and abroad (Gillespie et. al 49). The freedom train was gathering speed and Angelou was eager to get on board. She and her fellow talents wrote and produced a show, Cabaret for Freedom, to raise money for Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights organization (Gillespie et. al 55). Through performing and writing, Maya Angelou fought against injustice and abuse not only for herself, but for all the