Maya Angelou and African-American Society

Paper Summary:

This paper presents several autobiographical works of Maya Angelou, in an effort to illustrate how she overcame life's struggles and hardships. The paper discusses the African-American communities that she influenced. The paper explores how Maya's autobiographical writings have been linked to the tradition of black slave narratives and explains that Angelou herself identifies her writing with this tradition. The paper illustrates how she uses the idioms and vocabulary to capture the texture of Southern black life.

From the Paper:

"During the 1930's and the 1940s, there was a great deal of social turmoil. African American people lived in poverty and were treated as if they were animals. Maya Angelou grew up during this time period. Her literature has greatly influenced many African Americans since then. "As a writer she is a popular favorite who, in the tradition of Langston, Zora and Shakespeare, has earned a place both in the hearts of the people and in the canon guarded by her peers" (Angaza 30). Through Maya Angelou's heart wrenching literature, she is able to show the consequences of living in a segregated community and relate to many other types of people."

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