Oprah Gail Winfrey was born to Vernita Lee and Vernon Lee on an isolated farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi, on January 29, 1954 (Lutz). Winfrey's unmarried parents separated soon after she was born and left her in the care of her maternal grandmother, who lived on a farm (Annette and Dehanke). As a child, Winfrey entertained herself by play-acting in front of an audience of farm animals. Under the strict guidance of her grandmother, she learned to read at two and a half years old, and she still recalls the positive reception she received when she recited Bible verses at her grandmother’s church. By the time she was six, she was shuttled back and forth from her grandmother to her mother, then to her father(Winfrey). Although Oprah is now viewed
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Oprah was twelve/thirteen at that time and was not the center of attention for those who lived in the apartment except for her fourteen year old male cousin, who slept in the same bed with her. Oprah’s mother was often too, “preoccupied with her own problem, that she had little time for Winfrey” (Lutz). The lack of parental left Winfrey vulnerable, and the start of her abuse. Before long her cousin began to, “fondle [her] small breasts and run his hands around [her] body, and finally, he raped [her]” (Winfrey). This was a painful and confusing experience, compounded by her cousin’s warning to keep silent. In that same year, Winfrey was raped by her mother’s boyfriend, and her uncle. Many of the attacks, she received left her confused and frightened as she, “suffered in silence because she did not know what else to do and thought she was to blame” (Banks and Dunn). Not knowing who to turn to Oprah held herself accountable for what was happening and had no idea how to cope with her sufferings. At the age of nineteen Oprah started to turn her life around and adjusted her main focus on education(Mair). She buried all her pain and self-doubts in books. Education became one of the things that had saved her from her traumatized experience. Winfrey begins to discover herself and what her passionate is as she begun to seek her early career. She gained strength and became more determined after her long years of
Oprah was twelve/thirteen at that time and was not the center of attention for those who lived in the apartment except for her fourteen year old male cousin, who slept in the same bed with her. Oprah’s mother was often too, “preoccupied with her own problem, that she had little time for Winfrey” (Lutz). The lack of parental left Winfrey vulnerable, and the start of her abuse. Before long her cousin began to, “fondle [her] small breasts and run his hands around [her] body, and finally, he raped [her]” (Winfrey). This was a painful and confusing experience, compounded by her cousin’s warning to keep silent. In that same year, Winfrey was raped by her mother’s boyfriend, and her uncle. Many of the attacks, she received left her confused and frightened as she, “suffered in silence because she did not know what else to do and thought she was to blame” (Banks and Dunn). Not knowing who to turn to Oprah held herself accountable for what was happening and had no idea how to cope with her sufferings. At the age of nineteen Oprah started to turn her life around and adjusted her main focus on education(Mair). She buried all her pain and self-doubts in books. Education became one of the things that had saved her from her traumatized experience. Winfrey begins to discover herself and what her passionate is as she begun to seek her early career. She gained strength and became more determined after her long years of