| Abstract | This paper focuses on the topics of racism and fight against racist oppression, as well as rape and the trauma caused by sexual violation at a young age, in Maya Angelou’s autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969). It shows the development of the main character through the hardships of her childhood. Angelou starts the narrative as an insecure child, filled with racial self-hatred and insecurities, which is discussed in the first part of this paper. Through the years, influenced by her surroundings and experiences, she learns to stand up for herself and fight racial discrimination. Firstly, she observes the people around her in their fight against racism, then she slowly discovers her own voice and, finally, actively stands up for her rights without violence or rage. Angelou also gains confidence and comes to terms with her identity. She becomes proud of her race and finds comfort in her own skin. In the second part of the paper, Angelou’s rape is described, as well as the consequences of this event on her development as a young woman. The author speaks of her muteness and the guilt that followed her for years after the incident, but also of her healing and learning to express herself through words. In the last part of the paper, the final chapters of the book are interpreted. In these chapters, Angelou describes her quest for her sexual identity and her teenage pregnancy. These events are the last steps on her way to adulthood, womanhood, and motherhood. |
