Maya Angelou’s autobiography consists of six volumes. Born in 1928, she started writing down the story of her life in 1968. Robert Loomis, an editor at Random House, had asked her several times to write an autobiography, but she never agreed because she thought it was too difficult. He decided to trick her into writing by telling her: “I must say you may be right not to attempt an autobiography, because it is nearly impossible to write autobiography as literature. Almost impossible” (p.1165, ll.14ff.).
Maya Angelou could not resist this challenge and started writing the first volume, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, that tells the reader about her childhood in segregated Arkansas, St Louis and San Francisco and the birth of her son Guy.
The second volume, published in 1974, is called Gather together in my name. It deals with Maya’s experiences as a young mother who struggles for survival after World War II.
Only two years later, in the third part, Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getting’ Merry Like Christmas, the start of her career as a singer touring Europe with Porgy & Bess is described.
In The Heart of a Woman, the fourth volume of her autobiography, 1981, Maya Angelou remembers how she started writing in New York where she worked for the NAACP in black politics. It also contains an account of her marriage with the African freedom fighter Vusumzi Make she followed to Africa.
All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes is the title of the fifth part, published in 1986: Maya is looking for her ancestors in Ghana, but notices that she does not belong there either.
In 2002 the last volume (so far) is finished: A Song Flung Up to Heaven deals with the situation in the USA around Malcolm X’s and Martin Luther King’s assassinations and ends with the moment Maya starts writing her autobiography.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Maya Angelou's Autobiographies
- In how far is Angelou's style influenced by the quest for her self?
- Angelou's style and her African-American self
- Angelou's style and her female self
- Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This work explores the influence of Maya Angelou's quest for self on her writing style. It examines how her style evolves in her autobiographical works, focusing on the development of her African-American identity and her portrayal of her experiences as a woman.
- Maya Angelou's autobiographical style
- The quest for self in Angelou's writing
- The portrayal of African-American identity
- The exploration of female experiences
- The evolution of Angelou's writing style across her autobiographies
Chapter Summaries
- Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of Maya Angelou's autobiographies, outlining their publication order and the key events they chronicle. It discusses the challenges Angelou faced in writing her autobiography and the influence of Robert Loomis's encouragement on her decision to undertake this project.
- In how far is Angelou's style influenced by the quest for her self?: This chapter delves into the relationship between Angelou's quest for self and her writing style. It argues that her quest shapes the narrative and the way she portrays her experiences. The chapter discusses how Angelou's style evolves as she navigates different stages of her life and identity.
- Angelou's style and her African-American self: This chapter focuses on how Angelou's African-American identity influences her writing style. It examines how her experiences with racism and prejudice shape her perspective and her use of language. The chapter explores the evolution of Angelou's consciousness of her racial identity and its impact on her narrative.
- Angelou's style and her female self: This chapter analyzes the portrayal of Angelou's female self in her autobiographies. It explores how she depicts her experiences as a woman, including her struggles with sexuality, motherhood, and societal expectations. The chapter examines how Angelou's voice and style develop as she explores her understanding of her femininity.
Keywords
This work focuses on Maya Angelou's autobiographies, her quest for self, her African-American identity, her experiences as a woman, and the development of her writing style. Key themes explored include the portrayal of racial and social inequalities, the exploration of personal growth and self-discovery, and the influence of external forces on individual identity.
- Quote paper
- BA, MA Kathrin Gerbe (Author), 2004, Maya Angelou's quest for her self, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/45655
