Meanest Influence
The Meanest Influence I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is the autobiography of Maya Angelou’s life. She tells the story of her life in Stamps, Arkansas as well as her life moving from place to place. She deals with many problems including prejudice in many forms. Because of this prejudice, Maya must deal with the extremely influential actions of segregation, racism, and sexism. One of the largest factors that affected Maya’s upbringing was segregation. Segregation is the separation of white people and African American people. Maya is forced to do everything separate from the white people when she was growing up in Stamps. She has to go to a different school and church, and even sit in a separate section in the movie theater. One of the most
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Sexism is prevalent throughout Maya’s life. She explains how others view her gender when she says, “The judge had really made a gaff calling a Negro woman Mrs.” (48). The judge says this during a trial when the defendant says that he hid in Mrs. Henderson’s store. Therefore, when he asked for Mrs. Henderson and saw it was a black woman he was embarrassed. Not only was he embarrassed that he showed any form of respect to a black person, but he was even more embarrassed about showing respect to a black woman. Most of the world already regards women as lesser human beings, but black woman are the lowest of them all. She explains this fact when she says, “The Black female is assaulted in her tender years by all those common forces of nature at the same time that she is caught in the tripartite crossfire of masculine prejudice, white illogical hate and Black lack of power. The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and even belligerence” (272). This statement explains the way the world looks at her. She has to deal with being a Negro and racism, but she also has to deal with sexism. Despite all of these roadblocks, black women survive and might even become successful. Then she must continue to deal with the prejudice surrounding
Sexism is prevalent throughout Maya’s life. She explains how others view her gender when she says, “The judge had really made a gaff calling a Negro woman Mrs.” (48). The judge says this during a trial when the defendant says that he hid in Mrs. Henderson’s store. Therefore, when he asked for Mrs. Henderson and saw it was a black woman he was embarrassed. Not only was he embarrassed that he showed any form of respect to a black person, but he was even more embarrassed about showing respect to a black woman. Most of the world already regards women as lesser human beings, but black woman are the lowest of them all. She explains this fact when she says, “The Black female is assaulted in her tender years by all those common forces of nature at the same time that she is caught in the tripartite crossfire of masculine prejudice, white illogical hate and Black lack of power. The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and even belligerence” (272). This statement explains the way the world looks at her. She has to deal with being a Negro and racism, but she also has to deal with sexism. Despite all of these roadblocks, black women survive and might even become successful. Then she must continue to deal with the prejudice surrounding