Maya Angelou Theme

Life can be strenuous and arduous. Throughout American history, minorities have struggled to live equally amongst the rest of society. During World War II, over 100,000 Japanese Americans were forced to relocate and be incarcerated. The federal government believed that Imperial Japan was preparing a full-scale attack on the west coast of the United States. As a result, many Japanese Americans lost their homes, businesses, belongings, and freedom. During the 17th century, African Americans were treated poorly and were forced to work without their consent. Despite the conclusion of the American Civil War, numerous Southern Congressional representatives enacted Jim Crow Laws to prevent freedom to all races. Maya Angelou experienced this sense
One example is Maya Angelou. In the beginning, Maya was sent to live in Stamps, Arkansas with Annie Henderson due to her father’s calamitous marriage. Consequently, Maya feels separated from her family. She was abandoned and believed she was worthless, hideous, and senseless. Maya even says, “What [are] you looking at me for? I didn’t come to stay…” (1). Her displacement overpowers her conscious, which restrains Maya from feeling comfortable in any of the houses she lives in. The absence of affection continues to detriment her personality and life. However, Maya’s personal displacement only echoes the larger societal forces that displaced African Americans in the rest of the country. Therefore, America needs to acknowledge other heritages to fully represent their philosophy of freedom and equality. Another character affected by the theme of displacement is Maya’s mother, Vivian Baxter. When Maya and Bailey first saw her, they became enamored with her beauty. However, they failed to realize her incapability of being a parent. In fact, Vivian’s primary concern was to preserve her lifestyle and not to supervise her children. This allows Mr. Freeman to sexually molest and rape Maya. Following these events, Vivian’s guilt immediately grows and compels her to send her children back to Stamps, displacing her from the family. Maya said, “I knew immediately why she had sent me away. She was too beautiful to have children. I had never seen a woman as pretty as she who was called ‘Mother’… We were ‘unwanted children’ ” (60). In other words, Vivian’s lifestyle and emphasis on beauty detriments Maya’s identity. Neglect and inexperience causes a family to separate, which represents America. Numerous families had tensions due to contrasting beliefs and asinine businessmen. A country known for fraternization seemed to have disappeared and Maya hoped to address readers of this topic. The final