A look at the concept of Orientalism using in Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings".
Written in 2005; 1,629 words; 4 sources; APA; $ 53.95
Paper Summary:
Edward Said's theory of Orientalism is generally understood to mean white/western discourse about the Orient/East. This paper argues that other races can form almost identical stereotypes of one another, using examples from Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" of a young black woman's experience of white people and their culture. Ultimately, it raises questions about the nature and origin of racist discourse, and how it is inseparable from other factors such as wealth, from a cultural perspective.
From the Paper:
"The word 'powhitetrash' itself is an interesting example of how culture limits the way that race is understood. Angelou uses the label to define the 'powhitetrash' as distinct from the black people and the 'whitefolks'; however, she chooses to do this using language that only the black community uses, and draws attention to it even more by writing the words as they would be spoken. The two white groups would not give themselves the same labels assigned by Angelou and her community. Therefore, racial others are understood by Angelou only in terms of her own culture, not on their own terms. Quite literally, she is only able describe them using words she has heard spoken within her own culture. "
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