Self-Identify And Cultural Assimilation In Maya Angelou’s The Heart Of A Woman
Abstract
The personal narratives of African American women play a crucial role in challenging and redefining societal preconceptions about race and gender. These autobiographies persist in articulating the complexities of Black women’s identities and their resistance to stereotypes. The literary legacy of African American women’s autobiographies has paved the way for contemporary authors to further explore and enhance expressions of individual identity. Maya Angelou, as a prominent successor in this tradition, continues the work of her predecessors in her autobiographical writings. In The Heart of a Woman, Angelou elucidates the experiences of being both a Black mother and a Black woman, considering the political, social, and psychological contexts that shape her identity. Her historical and cultural context significantly influences her narrative. This paper examines the themes of Self-Identification and Cultural Assimilation in The Heart of a Woman, establishing a framework for understanding African American autobiography from both theoretical and thematic perspectives.
References
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