Maya Angelou- The Caged Bird's Song

Maya Angelouhttps://www.biography.com/people/maya-angelou-9185388

Brooke Lebidine

Mrs. Christopher

HHSE 2: Period 2

30, April 2018

The Caged Bird’s Song

“To see a superhero succeed despite any hardships they have overcome brings closure. The different archetypes we see in our heroes all complete our incomplete stories in a rewarding and satisfying way and we can count on them to do so” (Adam Hogue). In his article, “Why Do Americans Love Superheroes so Much?”, Hogue explains that as a society, many look towards “superheroes” to complete their unfilled archetypes. While these fictional heroes may not exist, many people wish for someone or something to make them feel accomplished in their regular lives. A superhero isn’t someone in a billowing cape and stretchy neon tights. A hero is an average human being who displays an extraordinary desire to want to help others and to make the world better. This simple idea of heroism is practiced every day, whether it be a doctor passionately working to save someone’s life, or a single mother tirelessly working three jobs to provide for her children. Acts of heroism are performed frequently, not just in the direst of situations. Even the smallest admirable deed can qualify someone as a hero. Based on the humanity and impact that is derived from these simple acts, it can inspire someone else to do what is right, even without superpowers. Heroism can be forever, as long as one still possesses the qualities that make them truly special. Selflessness and courage both contribute to the necessary qualities that a hero must possess in order to leave an iconic impact on society. Accordingly, the definition of a true hero is someone with a strong courageous demeanor and an altruistic attitude to want to help others.

Maya Angelou Quotehttps://www.goalcast.com/2017/04/03/maya-angelou-quotes-to-inspire-your-life/ As a prominent example of a hero, Maya Angelou displayed her true heroism through her lifelong work as an activist and a writer. She used courage to help inspire others to find their voices, and her altruistic nature was best represented when she assisted and helped others before herself.  On April 4th, 1928, Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter Johnson legally named her Marguerite Annie Johnson. When she was three, her parents divorced and she went to live with her grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. While living in Stamps, Angelou experienced prejudice and racism from the white children at her school. At the age of seven, her mother’s boyfriend raped her, who was arrested, and convicted of this horrible crime. After the boyfriend was released from jail, he was beaten to death. Angelou (at the time) felt that she was responsible for his death, resulting in her  not speaking for several years. On one occasion, when she went to visit her father, she was stabbed in the leg by her father’s girlfriend who was jealous of the attention Angelou was receiving from her dad. After moving to California to be with her mother, she became pregnant with a child, and in 1945 gave birth to her son Clyde Bailey Johnson. Continuing to provide for her family and her son, Angelou worked a variety of diverse jobs, such as a waitress, cook, dancer, sex-worker, actor, playwright and performer. In the 1960s, she joined the Civil Rights Movement, befriending the famous Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. In 1969, she penned her first work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and her career as a writer and poet flourished, allowing for her work to become an inspiration for many. She won numerous achievements and awards. In 1993, she was honored by being selected for  the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's (NAACP's) Spingarn Medal. In the same year, she became the first African-American and the first woman to read at a presidential inauguration. She recited her poem “On the Pulse of the Morning” at President Clinton’s first swearing-in ceremony, which was watched live around the world. In the following year, she spoke and lectured at many distinguished events including being named keynote speaker for the Chicago Foundation for Women, and awarded the first Medal of Distinction from the University of Hawaii Board of Regents. In her lifetime, she was selected for a Pulitzer Prize, awarded thirty honorary degrees, and nominated for a National Book award. Angelou continued to “sing” her knowledge to people all over the globe. Always passionate to teach others, Angelou worked as a professor at Wake Forest University since 1982. Unfortunately, Maya Angelou at age 86 passed away on May 28th, 2014. Throughout her lifetime, Angelou garnered many impressive accolades and awards, although these achievements didn’t make her a hero. A hero must possess the desire to help others before themselves and the inner courage to find their voice in the world. Due to her ability to overcome adversity in society, Maya Angelou is a prime example of a modern-day hero because of her selfless and courageous nature.

Angelou habitually demonstrated her selflessness amid the struggles she faced, making her a hero because she helped others before herself; “She realized that if she were sentenced to jail, she could be declared an unfit mother and lose Clyde, depriving him of the life she desperately wanted for him. Angelou abandoned her shiny new car, rushed with Clyde to train station and boarded a train bound for Stamps…”(Cuffie 31). Angelou’s true altruistic nature was on full display when she prioritized her child’s future welfare over establishing a career and any material possessions that would come from her personal success. Additionally, it highlighted her selflessness, because she was determined to create a better life for Clyde, surrendering her opportunity at a steady income to avoid being sent to jail.  In another example, Angelou displayed her selflessness by not revealing the identity of the woman who stabbed her, saving her from grave embarrassment in the neighborhood. She instead set off to find a place to live for the remainder of the week, not wanting to impact her father; “Maya realized that the woman had stabbed her...Angelou didn’t call her mother because she feared Vivan would seek revenge after seeing her wounds. Also reluctant to impose on her father’s friends, Maya set out on her own with a few tuna sandwiches lumpy with pickles, three dollars plus a few Mexican coins, and a Band-Aid supply”(Cuffie 24). Angelou was selfless because she made sure that there was no extra violence or revenge initiated by her mother towards her father and his girlfriend based on the attack. Moreover, Angelou displayed selflessness by caring more about her father’s reputation in the community than about her injuries. She also took it upon herself to find a new home while her father dealt with his own problems. These actions demonstrated that she is worthy of the title “hero” because other people mattered to her more than herself.

Maya Angelouhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2017/09/imagine-maya-angelouMaya Angelou depended upon her courage to get her through the hardships she faced in her life, making her a hero because she inspired others to find their voice. This is what she stated about courage;  “We must replace fear and chauvinism, hate, timidity and apathy, which flow in our national spinal column, with courage, sensitivity, perseverance, and dare I even say, ‘love’. And by ‘love’ I mean that condition in the human spirit so is profound it encourages us to develop courage. It is said that courage is the most important of all virtues because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue with consistency”(Cuffie 36). When talking to the interviewer, Angelou says that despite her personal struggles, she encouraged people to love themselves and others. It took courage to tell someone with hatred in their heart to love others, and Angelou understood that once a person embraced love, they could continue to practice other virtues with courage on their side. Another example of her courage would be when she brought light to certain issues that weren't discussed as widely:“Throughout her writing, Ms. Angelou explored the concepts of personal identity and resilience through the multifaceted lens of race, sex, family, community and the collective past. As a whole, her work offered a clear-eyed examination of the ways in which the socially marginalizing forces of racism and sexism played out at the level of the individual”(Fox 8). Through her writing, she displayed courage by bringing up subjects that weren’t heavily conversed in the national dialogue. Based on this, Angelou was able to reveal her own experiences throughout her life work, informing her vast audience on issues such as racism, sexism, and sexual assault that exists in society every day. Angelou showed her courage by opening up about her life in order to inspire others to start speaking about their own ordeals and allowed the reader to understand her life on a more empathic level.

Maya Angelou was a true modern hero, because of her selflessness and courage in facing her many challenges and struggles. She was not only an inspiration but a hero that encouraged others to find their voices and speak about true injustice in the poor and minority communities. As a leader and advocate for the Civil Rights Movement, her work helped sustain and inspire other powerful voices which eventually led to the beginning of some positive change in race issues. Considered a remarkable role model for her generation, Maya Angelou brought attention to important national issues and created hope for those that needed it the most. She has been an inspiration in my life, especially when I participate in theatre and have the opportunity to act in plays that highlight social justice issues and make the audience think about their own behaviors.  She also inspires me to be more understanding and more patient with my family, because her life was a shining example of how to best prioritize what matters the most. I know her teachings will help me navigate difficult problems and find solutions to help others. Maya Angelou is a hero to millions of people, because she completes the archetypes of other people’s stories, exhibiting just how courage and selflessness can absolutely change the world. Throughout her life, Maya Angelou inspired others to find their voices to speak and sing by reaching out to all who would listen.  

Maya Angelouhttps://theshakespearestandard.com/maya-angelou-shakespeare-greatest-poem-ever-bard-multimedia/Works Consulted

Franks, Jill. "Maya Angelou: Overview." Contemporary Popular Writers, edited by Dave Mote,

St. James Press, 1997. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1420000247/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=9221c556. Accessed 16 Apr. 2018.

"Maya Angelou." The Writers Directory, St. James Press, 2015. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1649553971/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=7633ed55. Accessed 16 Apr. 2018.

Park, Brian. “Maya Angelou Would Have Turned 90 Today. But for Years, She Didn't Celebrate Her Birthday Because of Martin Luther King's Death.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-maya-angelou-martin-luther-king-jr-20180404-story.html

Waxman, Olivia B. “Dr. Maya Angelou: 5 Things to Know About Her Beautiful Life.”

Time, Time 4 Apr. 2018, https://time.com/5226045/dr-maya-angelous-90th-birthday/.