Prior to reading Maya Angelou’s Letter to My Daughter I did my research on her life. Although Letter to My Daughter was main autobiographical, I wanted the basic facts. Being born in Missouri of 1928, it is remarkable how much this African American woman has achieved. I found this great website that provided a biography on Dr. Angelou who, “… is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.” (http://mayaangelou.com/bio/). In high school, I recall reading short poems by her, but I never knew how much further she has taken her talent.
Before I delve into the specifics and main themes of Letter to My Daughter, I would like to note my experience in reading one of Maya Angelou’s works. Reading Letter to My Daughter was very refreshing and inspirational. I was intrigued by her style of writing.
In Letter to My Daughter, Angelou discusses that she only had one son (which she later goes in depth about) and how every girl is her daughter, no matter their race, creed, gender, sexuality, etc. ‘Motherhood’ was a prevalent theme in the introduction. Angelou seemed to embody a mother-nature being; one who biologically and culturally understands what it means to care for their own children. Another predominant theme I found within reading the first few pages is on page five, “The submission to the idea that black people were inferior to white people, who I rarely saw.” (Angelou, 5). This statement relates very much to what Pecola Breedlove felt in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. Racism, oppression, and beauty are all key themes that Angelou discusses as she continues talking about her childhood in Arkansas. As the story progresses, we examine the experiences involving her mother. Angelou visits her mother in California and has a hard time accepting this woman that left her family. ‘Motherhood’ comes up again as Angelou’s mother pleads her to love and be happy with her. At one point in Angelou’s life, she talks specifically about losing her virginity unwillingly to a boy she had no romantic interest in. On page 18, Angelou brings up the myth of beauty. As she doubts her own body and her sexual appeal an adolescent girl, she gives into the boy. Feeling hopeless and lost after the experience, she soon finds out she is pregnant. The myth of perfect love and physical beauty stand out the most here. She did not love this man, but gave him what he wanted simply to please him. Although she doubted her beauty, losing her virginity was her way in understanding her body better and accepting her consequences. Another key theme involving ‘Motherhood’ was when she gave birth to her son, on page 29, “Accident, Coincident, or Answer Prayer.” The three options she offers here, suggests that it wasn’t supposed to happen, it happened for no specific reason, or it was meant to happen. Giving birth to her son was the start of Angelou’s journey in motherhood. As she continues, she discusses the heartache she experienced, the immense physical abuse she endured, and people such as Bob, Decca, Celia Cruz and Fannie Lou Hamer that influenced her life greatly. Each page in Letter to My Daughter, created such strong imagery and a sense of being drawn into her personal life. As I finished reading her online biography, I read exactly what I felt as I read Letter to My Daughter- “Dr. Angelou’s words and actions continue to stir our souls, energize our bodies, liberate our minds, and heal our hearts.” (http://mayaangelou.com/bio/).Citations
Angelou, Maya. Letter to My Daughter. New York: 2009 Random House Trade Paperback Edition, 2008. 1- 166. Print.
Biography & website: http://mayaangelou.com/bio/
I find your posting very interesting and agree that she has indeed achieved a lot considering the time period and location of where she is from. A couple of questions however is:
ReplyDeleteWas there a mother figure in her life that she just believed was so fantastic that makes her "a mother" to all girls even though she didn't have a female child herself?
What makes her so accepting of these girls?
What does she have to say in relation of this to her male child?
First I would like to begin by saying very good job on your section of this blog!...
ReplyDeleteI can see and understand how you felt that motherhood was a prevalent theme in this piece, however can you please explain to me how you see that playing out in this letter? I understand that you said she seemed to embody a mother-nature being, but how did she do that? Is there any evidence in this piece?
I really liked how you applied motherhood to Angelou's feeling of being a mother to all the girls in the world. I feel like most of the readings we did in class about motherhood focused on women who felt motherhood did not apply to them,and that despite their biological ability to bear a child they felt motherhood was a social construct. I like that Angelou seemed to feel the exact opposite, and while I do feel the traditional mother is in someways a social construct, there are some aspects of all social constructs that are legitimate and real and I think in motherhood the legitimate and real part is love for your child and Angelou seemed to feel that for all people in the world although she specifically focuses on girls in this piece.
ReplyDeleteBrittany,
ReplyDeleteTo answer your questions...
1.) I read an article titled; "Maya Angelou on Mothers" and discovered that "[her mother] was everything". Although her grandmother raised her most of her life, she still considered her own mother her "everything." Which I found very interesting. So for the motherhood aspect, it would appear that her grandmother took on the role of her mother moreso than her own.
Source:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/MothersDay/story?id=1949309&page=1
2.) Another quote from the prior website that I found might help answer your question about what made her so accepting of her 'daughters' was: "I think of myself as mother. I think of men as mother -- some men. My son has mothered his son, fathered his son. I don't think you have to be a woman to mother." And the fact that she was very drenchede in the concept of motherhood.
Source:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/MothersDay/story?id=1949309&page=1
3.) As for her son, he means the world to her and "Angelou said a mother did not indulge but loved unconditionally in the deepest possible of ways."
Source:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/MothersDay/story?id=1949309&page=1
Hope that answers your questions! The website was very helpful in giving more of an insight on 'motherhood'
-Jessica Morgan
Jasmine,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post! Now to answer your questions:
1.) The book is split up into different sections or chapters that make up a person's life- including her own personal inspirations. To name a few, "Giving Birth", "Violence", and "Mother's Long View". There are so many different themes in this bookbut the main reason she embodies a mother-nature character, is because she declares herself as the mother to all women. It is evident that motehrhood is a very important sspect in Angelou's life, so mother-nature seemed to be a perfect comparison!
Citations from the book, (Chapter titles):
Angelou, Maya. Letter to My Daughter. New York: 2009 Random House Trade Paperback Edition, 2008. 1- 166. Print.
-Jessica Morgan
Katherine,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! I agree that motherhood was a very important part of her life, one of the biggest. She was an inspiration to me and gave a deeper understanding of what it means to be a mother.
-Jessica Morgan
Great job on your blog! It looks great and is set up well. Also, great choice of author. She seems very interesting and like a great mother figure. That makes me respect her a lot. Especially that she does not discriminate and looks at all girl, no matter their color, as her daughters. Also, great connection to The Bluest Eye. Pecola was one of my favorite characters since she had to go through a ridiculous amount of oppression in the story. Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! I really liked this section of the blog! you did a great job relating themes in Letters to My Daughter to themes weve discussed in class! I really enjoyed hearing about Letters to My Daughter, and the way she accepted all women as her daughter, its really a great autobiographical book!
ReplyDeleteCindi Azuogu
ReplyDeleteI especially appreciate authors who write partially autobiographically because I am a nonfiction writer. It is not easy to put down your thoughts particularly when they pertain to your life. I love that Letters to my Daughter reflect her personal experiences and it's such a beautiful tale.
I think that the idea that all women are her daughter because they all relate on the same level at some point is powerful.
Good job!
I loved how Angelou wrote Letters to my Daughter based on personal experiences; I thought it made the work more special. It was more interesting to learn about her and her inspirations than to just read a story summary. You did a great job at relating Angelou to the class, and incorporating Pecola.
ReplyDeleteKory O'Hara-Hanley