When examining I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou from a postcolonial literary perspective, it becomes clear that your skin colour impacts the way you will be treated and the way you are treated will impact your confidence. When you have a high level of confidence you do not shy away from opportunities which can lead to a better life. This is shown through many examples in the book such as which services are available to the black members in society, the treatment they receive from the white members in society etc… Society and the treatment Marguerite also known as Maya, received was unjust and affected the way she viewed herself and her relationship with the world.
SEGREGATION
The small town of Stamps, much like Maycomb in “To …show more content…
Maya had no major encounters with racism, due to this she was able to build up her confidence. White people still seemed to be superior, they were rich and they had all the good jobs. As Donleavy, a speaker at her school even said “The white kids were going to have a chance to become Galileos and Madame Curies and Edisons and Gauguins, and our boys (the girls weren 't even in on it) would try to be Jesse Owenses and Joe Louises.”(179) Maya was not bothered by this because she was ready to challenge the world. For the most part she had no reason to be afraid anymore. Maya decided that she wanted a job driving streetcars. Her mother told her that “They don’t accept coloured people on the streetcars.” (266) She continued to tell Maya that if it was something she really wanted to do she should try because “. . . nothing beats a trial but a failure”.(266) Maya decided that she did want the job. She did not care if she would be accepted or not she knew she had to try. She finally broke out of her cocoon and spread her wings. There was no one telling her she could not, no one mocking her intelligence, no one telling her her skin colour makes her worthless, and no one holding her back. The author intended that the reader realizes that by applying for the job, for the first time Maya had the confidence to challenge the stereotypes and fight discrimination. She becomes the first black female to work the streetcars in San Francisco, even though she said that her superiors had chosen her work shifts maliciously. Despite the minimal yet still present racism Maya developed the courage to apply for the job, she is thankful and proud that she is working a job supposedly only for the
SEGREGATION
The small town of Stamps, much like Maycomb in “To …show more content…
Maya had no major encounters with racism, due to this she was able to build up her confidence. White people still seemed to be superior, they were rich and they had all the good jobs. As Donleavy, a speaker at her school even said “The white kids were going to have a chance to become Galileos and Madame Curies and Edisons and Gauguins, and our boys (the girls weren 't even in on it) would try to be Jesse Owenses and Joe Louises.”(179) Maya was not bothered by this because she was ready to challenge the world. For the most part she had no reason to be afraid anymore. Maya decided that she wanted a job driving streetcars. Her mother told her that “They don’t accept coloured people on the streetcars.” (266) She continued to tell Maya that if it was something she really wanted to do she should try because “. . . nothing beats a trial but a failure”.(266) Maya decided that she did want the job. She did not care if she would be accepted or not she knew she had to try. She finally broke out of her cocoon and spread her wings. There was no one telling her she could not, no one mocking her intelligence, no one telling her her skin colour makes her worthless, and no one holding her back. The author intended that the reader realizes that by applying for the job, for the first time Maya had the confidence to challenge the stereotypes and fight discrimination. She becomes the first black female to work the streetcars in San Francisco, even though she said that her superiors had chosen her work shifts maliciously. Despite the minimal yet still present racism Maya developed the courage to apply for the job, she is thankful and proud that she is working a job supposedly only for the