momma s encounter essay

in the 1960’s. The prevalence of racism in Stamps, Arkansas seemed greater than any other state in the country at that time. With Maya being a black, young girl in the South, she felt that she had drawn the short straw in life. She often found herself believing that she was born in the wrong body, and fantasized about having pale skin with long, flat, and blond hair. Maya and her brother, Bailey, were dropped off in Stamps by their parents to live with their grandmother, Momma. Momma is the lady

Dylan Liang Ms.Camarda ENG 2D7 October 27 2015 Marguerite’s Fight Against Adversity As the late great William Arthur Ward would state “Adversity causes some men to break, others to break records” (Ward). Throughout the novel “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by: Maya Angelou, she illustrates Marguerite combating society from a disadvantaged position. Set in the United States during the time of racism and segregation towards the black community, the novel displays the contrast in Maya’s upbringing

speaks solely on the upbringing of Maya Angelou, and on the accomplishments, yet struggles that make Maya the woman she is. It begins in California in the 1930’s. Maya and her brother Bailey lived with her parents at a very young age, but after their divorced they were shipped to Arkansas to live their grandmother. They called their grandmother Momma, because she was a parental figure to both of them. In her young years Maya struggled with the absence of her parents and that neglect from them. Along with

Belief in Freedom From the end of the Civil War to the mid 1900’s segregation within a southern society was just the way of life. White Americans were determined to keep the black population under control. Throughout this period of time many African-Americans like Maya Angelou and Richard Wright were put through extreme racism and segregation. Both of these writers shared their experiences through their excerpts I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow:

of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, spent the majority of her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas in the wake of her parent’s divorce at the age of three. She, along with her older brother, lived with their grandmother (Annie Henderson), whom they call Momma, at the only black store in the segregated town of Stamps. Annie later became a big influence in her life and helped her develop self-confidence and pride. Growing up, Maya had to deal with her insecurities over her looks and the rejection and abandonment

the book, the readers are able to see Janie’s transformation as a character and her female voice begins to be more prominent. In Maya Angelou’s autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya encounters multiple experiences that portray the racist time period. She lives with her grandmother, Momma, and both the these women are greatly respected throughout the community. All these women overcome discrimination and shut down the patriarchal view of the time. These strong female characters are

Belief in Freedom From the end of the Civil War to the mid 1900’s segregation within a southern society was just the way of life. White Americans were determined to keep the black population under control. Throughout this period of time many African-Americans like Maya Angelou and Richard Wright were put through extreme racism and segregation. Both of these writers shared their experiences through their excerpts I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow:

is also a Mormon and belongs to a religious community that forbids any sexual behavior between two people of the same gender and deems such homosexual acts a sin punishable by a disciplinary council (“Homosexuality”). During his first homosexual encounter, Joe expresses his fears of punishment not simply from his church community, but from God himself: JOE: I… want… to touch you. Can I please just touch you… um, here? (He puts his hand on one side of Louis’s face. He holds it there.) I’m going to

According to Erikson, there are four aspects of identity: religious, political, vocational, and sexual (Berger, 2011, p.434). As we experience Angelou’s autobiographical tale we encounter three important women who helped shaped those four aspects within her identity: Annie Henderson, Vivian Baxter, and Bertha Flowers. The following essay will analyze the impact made by Annie Henderson, Vivian Baxter, and Bertha Flowers on Erikson’s

potato bin all night while the white men scour the black section of Stamps for a scapegoat. Against the backdrop of such terrifying events, Momma keeps her faith and self-respect, providing an influential example for Maya and Bailey. Her confrontation with the three white girls—another example of the overt insidiousness of racism—becomes a victory for Momma because she refuses to be displaced. While Maya feels apprehension, Momma’s refusal to retreat inside the Store at their approach diffuses any