Abstract
The aim of this article is to discover unnoted experiences of African-American women by taking Angelou’s novel in focus. Experiences of marginalized women in African American haven’t got sufficient attention. Their literature hasn’t accorded the level it deserves. Specifically, autobiographies of black women have been ignored more severely than those of Americans. Maya Angelou, who won Pulitzer Prize for her first volume of autobiography-I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, is one of the significant authors who wrote in addressing American subalterns’life. This article applies text based analysis and Black feminist literary theory. As a theoretical framework, it enables one to interrogate the relationships between self and selves of black women in America. Hence, race, gender and class issues were the general brands of black women’s oppression. Racial prejudices against black women and the response to the injustices have been discussed based on the nature of resistance from helpless anger to outright protest. In addition, sexual abuse and segregation followed by ignorance and maternity have been analyzed as interlocked oppressions of black feminism. Although different kinds of oppression such as race, gender and class are discussed, the article argues that Angelou’s feminist portrayals are optimist. Thoughtful and kind as depictions show that the triple form of oppression of racism, sexism and classism can be resisted.
Highlights
In the world, every nation has its own literature though some of them remain unknown due to hegemonic influence of dominant nations
African-American literature is an ingredient of American literature that is produced, as the name implies, by Black Americans
Some of the themes and issues explored in African-American literature are the depiction of experiences of marginalized women
Summary
Every nation has its own literature though some of them remain unknown due to hegemonic influence of dominant nations. Literatures of colored people have been given less emphasis while they themselves have been reading and studying works of white world. Black-Americans’ literature has been neglected from American literary history for a long period of time. Literary works of Black women Americans have gotten the worst treatment considered as incompetent to different white made literary canons. African-American literature is an ingredient of American literature that is produced, as the name implies, by Black Americans. Some of the themes and issues explored in African-American literature are the depiction of experiences of marginalized women. They point to the role of African-American women within the larger American society, culture, racism, slavery, and inequality
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
