From Rejection to Acceptance: the Transformation of Maya

From Rejection to Acceptance The transmutation of Maya Through Childhood Experiences In this novel, the chief(prenominal) extension, Marguerite Johnson or Maya, experiences many casefuls that hurtle her through a variety of psychological states. From the time that she is abandoned as a child and sent to live with their nanna in Stamps, to giving birth as a sixteen year erstwhile(a) woman, Maya experiences a wide variety of stillts and challenges, from each one having their give birth outcome and own center on her state of mind.Angelou embodies these effects and feelings of displacement and alienation when she says If growing up is ugly for the southern black girl, being witting of her displacement is the rust on the s fuddle that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult. (Angelou 4). Through this reflection, Angelou shows the turmoil that Maya is out permit through even during her early stages of life, and foreshadows the proximo struggle that is yet to come . The set-back event that has a significant effect on Maya is the discovery that she was leadfully given up by her p arnts.This discovery leads Maya to feel betrayed, and change from the rest of her family. This current knowledge leads her to acquire that not however was she given up by choice, but also the diffidence that causes her to ask herself what she did awry(p) to deserve it. The gifts undetermined doors to questions that neither of us wanted to ask. why did they send us a commission? and What did we do so wrong? So wrong? (Angelou 53). This introduction of diffidence and feelings of alienation be what set up the opportunity for forthcoming tragedies and painful events in Mayas life.One of these tragedies that march on is the molestation and rape of Maya by Mr. Freeman. Because of the occurrence that Maya is in a place of sliminess and confusion in her life because of the new environment that she I thrust into, her sine qua non for love and attention gives M r. Freeman the befall to take advantage of her. Though Maya does not feel completely comfortable with the occurrence she likes being held my Mr. Freeman and does not gull what has happened. This need for attention and stability in her life is shown when she says Finally he was quiet, and so came the nice part.He held me so softly that I wished he wouldnt even let me go. I felt at ingleside. From the way he was h honest-to-goding me I knew hed n incessantly let me go or let anything bad ever happen to me. (Angleou 73). Mayas world is then(prenominal) once again shaken later on Mr. Freeman is found dead briefly after the trial that she testified in. Even though he was her molester and rapist, she still feels responsible for his death, indeed proving again that she is developing even deeper issues of self-doubt and alienation. After Mayas return to Stamps, things are different than they were before she left.Even though she is briefly coaxed out of silence by Mrs. Flowers, sh e in short begins to feel the same feelings of alienation because of the concomitant that she is now low to personally look the culture of racism in the south. With her practice session under Mrs. Cullinan and the speech of Mr. Dunleavy given during the grade ceremonies, Maya is shown the true sentiments of racism and prejudice in the south, and lastly she is once again uprooted from her home and her life as Momma feels as if best for them to not be open to scenes of death and despair that the south go away have in store for them.The ingrain to California represents the last time that Maya will have to be uprooted from her home. The main events that erect to the molding of Maya as a reference point and her mindset is her experiences with full-size Bailey and the homeless children in the empty junkyard. Because of the experience with Dolores, Maya runs away from Big Bailey and spends a month on her own in this society made up of some other homeless children, and because o f this, Maya is beginning to visualise that adults dont really have any power over her and her life.She is finally becoming her own person. This new instinct of self-worth then gives her the confidence to become the first black streetcar operator in San Francisco. besides, she still has some feelings of insecurity most her own body that become discernable when she states that In front of the mirror I detachedly examined my body. For a sixteen year old my breasts were sadly underdeveloped. They could only be called pare swellings, even by the kindest critic.The line from my clapperclaw cage to my knees fell straight without even a ridge to disturb its way (Angelou 274). This self-examination began to bring up thoughts of lesbianism and other possibilities, convincing Maya that she needed to have sexuality in order to determine the truth, however, in the process she becomes pregnant. Though the pregnancy was uncaused it gave Maya the human connection that she had been cravin g her faultless life. Throughout this novel Maya yearns for a nose out of belonging but is typically only met with some form of rejection.She is discriminated against, abused, neglected and abandoned. However despite all of this the development of her character leads from the helpless, alienated child in the beginning of the novel, to the proud African-American mother that we behold at the end. Though some things that we discover are disturbing and heart wrenching, they dedicate Angelou into the the proud successful woman that she is today. whole caboodle Cited Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged poultry Sings. New York Random House, 1970. Print.