Maya Angelou Diction - 1188 Words

The memoir written by Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, is a personal and ultimately reflective narrative that presents readers a slew of scenarios fueled by racism and racist people. It brings to light the life and upbringing of an African American girl who is plagued with the knowledge that her people are constant victims of prejudice; all while she struggles within herself over her image and very identity. Many reminders of both ailments are placed throughout the book using a literary device that Angelou excels at, her diction. Utilizing her diction, Maya Angelou is able to portray this society along with herself candidly in Chapter 16 to expose the normalcy of racism and discrimination, the effects it had on her self image†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, one could argue that Maya was only 10 years old when this took place and could not have known what her thoughts implied. However, the reader must realize that whether or not Maya knew how to label he r thoughts, years of living within a racist society, she was taught to think lowly of her white neighbors. If racism and discrimination are the most prevalent themes, then Maya’s less than standard self image is the closest second in this narrative. With the fact that only two years prior Maya had been molested and raped in mind, which is an inarguable factor in determining her self worth, the negativity must stem from somewhere. The negativity arose from what her society makes her believe about the way she looks. The general belief hold by the African American people, children at least, is that the lighter their skin, the straighter their hair and the brighter their eyes, the more beautifully they are viewed. Maya strove to resemble â€Å"sweet little white girls† because that is what the discrimination against her race told her, that little white girls are â€Å"everybody’s dream† (Angelou 2). She becomes envious of those that do fulfill, or come close to fulfilling her idealistic dream. For example, Maya compares herself to the daughters of Mr. Cullinan and his mistress. Angelou describes the Cullinan girls as if their physical beauty is her life’s unattainable goal. This truth is proven to theShow MoreRelatedPoem Analysis : Alone By Maya Angelou907 Words   |  4 Pagesworld. The civil rights activist, director, singer and poet Maya Angelou created a poem called â€Å"Alone.† In this poem, the title speaks for itself by warning you to not live life alone because it leads to unhappiness. The poem, â€Å"Alone† by Maya Angelou uses poetic devices diction, imagery, and figurative language to express the theme â€Å"No one can make it in this world alone and have happiness.† In summary, the poem â€Å"Alone â€Å" by Maya Angelou is about the speaker warning all human race to beware of thisRead MoreDisplacement, a Theme in Maya Angelou ´s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings1603 Words   |  6 Pagesdisplacement takes a toll on their character and personality. Maya Angelou creates a theme of displacement in her novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelous novel has been critiqued by many notable scholars for being a classic autobiography. The critics note the importance of the setting to show universal displacement and the use of characterization to display the influences in Angelous life. The critics also note that Angelous diction and tone allow her pain and suffering to be evident throughoutRead More`` Woman Work `` By Maya Angelou987 Words   |  4 Pagesthese two works by two totally different authors for example, â€Å"Woman Work† by Maya Angelou; which tells of a women’s many tasks that she must complete, but unfortunately she has nothing to call her own, and the song â€Å"She Works Hard for the Money† by Donna Summer, which is about a women who works extremely hard every day just to make ends meet, but she will never give up; both of these works use literal sense, and diction to portray the message of two different women’s mind set on the definition ofRead MoreEssay on Maya Angelou1185 Words   |  5 PagesDistress in Maya Angelous Life Marguerite Ann Johnson, commonly known as Maya Angelou, was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. She is a famous African-American poet, novelist, and playwright and also worked during the civil rights: Angelou is a very remarkable Renaissance woman who hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature (www.mayaangelou.com). She is also an activist in civil-rights. Angelou went through many controversies during her childhood and adulthood; herRead MoreAnalysis Of On The Pulse Of Morning Essay1990 Words   |  8 PagesIn â€Å"On the Pulse of Morning†, Angelou uses visual imagery and symbolism to argue that people must learn from the past to eliminate racial injustice in society today. The vivid descriptions found in the poem evoke feelings of injustice through the emotionally painful pictures that they paint. Americans as a whole are described in the poem to have â€Å"crouched too long in / The bruising darkness, [...] / Face down in ignorance† (à ¢â‚¬Å"On the Pulse of Morning† 15-18). The speaker of the poem insinuates thatRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Phenomenal Woman By Maya Angelou2030 Words   |  9 PagesSummary of Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou Stanza 1: â€Å"Phenomenal Woman† begins with a attack on stereotypes. She proudly declares that she neither has a hourglass figure, nor a cute face. Her success without essential feminine traits surprises pretty women and they often want to know the secret of her success. She describes her secret saying that it comes from her confidence, the way she stretches her arms, the way she walks, the rhythm of her hips and also the way she smiles. Her entire body isRead MoreThe Life Of Marguerite Johnson963 Words   |  4 Pages Marguerite Johnson later known as Maya Angelou was born on April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Marguerite Johnson was raised in St. Louis, Missouri as well as Stamps, Arkansas. According to her website, Stamps at the time that she was raised, was the frontier of the South During the 1930s and 1940s when Johnson was growing up, Stamps ran rampant with racial discrimination and physical brutality. Marguerite was raised by her grandmother from 4 years old to 8 years old. Johnson came to live withRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou And The Stone Carvers By Jane Urquhart1663 Words   |  7 Pageseach individual’s mind since people had no idea how the troopers were doing. Perhaps the outcome of the war scarred many and impacted the lives of virtuous communities. Indeed, these feelings are relived in â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings† by Maya Angelou and The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart. Although both texts explore the importance of a pastoral setting and the creation of an artistic element, The Stone Carvers effectively portrays the aftermath of a war in a more moving manner than Angelou’sRead MoreWe All Know Why The Caged Bird Sings954 Words   |  4 PagesKnow Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou was a civil rights activist, author, and poet. She wrote many books and poems that conveyed the vivid experiences in her life. Maya Angelou’s works are well known and she is an eminent writer. One poem in particular that is well known is â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,† written in 1969. In this work she described racial inequality, and the lack of freedom African Americans experienced in the 1930’s and 40’s. Maya Angelou uses many Rhetorical strategiesRead MoreAnalysis Of Alone By Maya Angelou1351 Words   |  6 Pagesbe alone could mean internal loneliness or it could also be physical loneliness.Alone, by Maya Angelou, dives in to the author ´s point of view of being alone. When onedeciphers the poem, the deepness and the quality of Maya Angelou’s word is presented throughher overall meaning. The poem might be easy for one to decipher due to its simple diction,however, when one analyzes the poem the true quality of Maya An gelou’s words are presented.Angelou uses biblical allusions, figurative language, her past

Mystical Madonna in the Pinks A Raphael in Doubt Essay

Madonna in the Pinks, whose existence cannot be substantiated before 1833 , was not identified as an autograph painting of Raphael until 1991, after an acquisition made by the National Gallery in London by using public funds. However, the authenticity of the rediscovered painting attributed to Raphael remains under some dispute. Apart from the incomplete provenance, it demonstrated visual inconsistency in style and quality with other proved works of Raphael, supplemented with the incomprehensive scientific re-verification that the current attribution of the masterpiece-to-be perhaps still needs to be viewed with skepticism. By comparison to the identified paintings of Raphael, discrepancies can be spotted from both clothing of Virgin Mary†¦show more content†¦It seems that the crowded picture is atypical for Raphael even of paintings in similar indoor setting such as the Bridgewater Madonna (fig. 4) and Madonna de Orleans (fig. 5) Stylistic concern is not the only argument that objects the painting’s attribution to Raphael, but also the inferior quality in the rendition of Mary and Christ. Observations of Beck suggest that Mary’s hair looks confusing and unsolved , while the underdrawing revealed by IR investigation shows a clearer representation of the braids that possibly the painter-in-question became more â€Å"exclusive on this own during the painting stage that he dropped the refinement of her hair† stemming from mimicking Raphael’s painting when drafting. Furthermore, the current depiction conveys a sense of obfuscation in posing of Mary’s right thigh compared to Small Cowper Madonna (fig. 2) or the Bridgewater Madonna (fig.4), with statically drawn Infant balancing difficultly on the invisible leg of Mary . It is inexplicable that the engravings (fig. 6 and 7) after the painting look more convincing that they have complemented the unnaturalness of the original. It is claimed by the National Gallery that the use of pigments in Madonna in the Pinks coincides Raphael’s common choice of pigment in other paintings and they also postulated the painting to be a study of Leonardo’s Benois Madonna (fig. 8) However, the identification of

Born to Be a Bully Essay Example For Students

Born to Be a Bully Essay To be bullied or to be the bully, that is the question. When I mention the word bully I bet someone comes to mind immediately. One of my favorite movies growing up was the 1984 Karate Kid starring Ralph Macchio and the ever popular Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi. For those of you that don’t know the movie it’s about a handyman/martial arts master who agrees to teach a bullied boy karate and show that boy that there is more to the martial art than fighting. At the end of the movie the boy got to meet his bully in the center ring of a karate tournament and of course win and disgrace the bully. A feel good ending for the hero but I often wonder about the bully. What motivated that bully? I have known bullies my whole life; in my school experience, within my family, on t. v. , and even now as an adult in my workplace. Now we can add cyberbullying to the list of many ways to bully someone. The fact is that we probably all have been bullies at one point or another. The question is are bullies born that way or are they made. My grandpa was and a feared man within my family for as long as I can remember. When grandpa was in the room everyone lowered their voices and straightened up in fear of being reprimanded for whatever. I remember one time my grandma was playing a game with me at the kitchen table. She heard grandpas’ car pull in the driveway, packed up the game as quickly as possible and ordered me to go outside because grandpa will need some peace and quiet after working his shift. Now as I look back at my childhood I can’t help but identify his behavior as bullying. Any time grandpa spoke out harshly about how a situation will be handled my grandma would say, â€Å"He can’t help speaking to people that way, that’s just the way God made him. I have a hard time believing that someone is born to be a bully. There must be other factors to the equation. Bullies usually don’t have structure in their life. At grandpas’ funeral I was able to hear his back story for the first time. Grandpa was orphaned at an early age and the family that he ended up with let him go on his own at sixteen. Grandpa had dropped out of school and started working in a factory to support himself. After hearing these stories it became clear to me that he had no type of discipline or structure as a child. My wife and I are parents to three teenagers, we run a home daycare, and have directed the youth program at our church. Children are our business. We interact with so many kids from such different backgrounds and have developed the theory that a structured home life matters. In my wife and I’s daycare we are with these kids Monday through Friday every week. We work with toddlers on potty training all week and by the end of the week they seem to have it down. Then when they return on the following Monday we seem to be back to square one. Parents have to follow through with the work of keeping kids structured at home. Babies have to be on a set time schedule every day to stay content. If not they become agitated, angry, and will yell until they get what they need, much like the techniques a bully would use to get what they want. Bullies are used to getting what they want. This means even at home and probably since they were a baby. I have found that it is good to say no to my child every once and a while. After all I am the parent. .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 , .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 .postImageUrl , .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 , .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62:hover , .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62:visited , .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62:active { border:0!important; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62:active , .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62 .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9a3741e5f0036438d87367ae12802a62:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Neandertals EssayThis is why I endorse sports at an early age; it’s good to learn the triumphs of winning as well as the heartache of losing. These moments in sports become teaching tools. I also endorse teaching kids the discipline of saving money at an early age. When kids earn birthday money or chores allowance I have them set some aside in savings and the rest is what is used to eat out on, pay for gas, or go to the movies. Not only will it be a useful skill for when they get older but I notice kids get a better understanding of the value of a dollar. All of a sudden my child doesn’t want that candy bar at the store if it’s coming out of their pocket. The lack of stability is a contributor to the development of some bullies. I know you think that structure and stability is the same thing but I view stability as the child’s world around them changing. Structure is a follow through implemented by the parents. Maybe his or hers’ parents move a lot because of vocation but along with all those moves come new; friends, schools, bus routes, and schedule. Sometimes the best way to take focus off you is to make fun of someone else and make them the focus. It sounds cruel but I see it a lot with new kids starting in our daycare who are trying to fit in to a new group. No one wants to be the odd one out. I also see this technique with the kids from divorced homes. Along with divorce come an absent dad, different schedules or rules, and two different bedrooms. Not a great recipe for the development in a child’s life. Parents, if they don’t watch out, will create bullies. We had a child fall and hit his head one time while the parent was in the room. The parent said, â€Å"You’re alright, don’t be such a sissy. † Another time a different parent with a similar circumstance said, â€Å"O’ its ok, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, he’s ok. † Parents approach to toughening up kids sometimes leads to kids not knowing how to appropriately deal with their feelings. A bully calling other kids sissy or trying to toughen them up would be a natural response to a situation. I have seen this mostly with boys so far where the dad wants to toughen his son up. The dad usually just makes the boy play a sport and tells him to quit whining. Sometimes the dads response may be, â€Å"You don’t see me cry do you? † In the Karate Kid movie the bullies’ karate teacher had this same approach. He would toughen those boys up by verbally abusing, hitting, and intimidating them. If this is how my dad acts, someone I look up to, then that is how I should act too. My grandpa has since passed away but later in his life, especially when great grandkids started to enter the family, he softened and took on a completely different personality. He was even pleasant to be around. This got me thinking that people do have the ability to change their outlook on life or how they treat people. They don’t have to be products of their upbringing. My conclusion is that bullies are created depending on the circumstances in their life. I also am confident in saying that bullies are not born that way; otherwise people like my grandpa wouldn’t have had the ability to change. I close by quoting my favorite verse from the Bible, â€Å"Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). †

Mrs Mann and Mr Bumble Essay Example

Mrs Mann and Mr Bumble Paper In Oliver Twist Dickens presents a powerful critique of Victorian society and its treatment of the poor. Paying particular attention to chapter two of the novel, explore the methods Dickens employs to achieve this. Oliver Twist was the second novel of Charles Dickens and the first one with the main protagonist a child. It was initially published in monthly instalments in Bentleys Miscellan magazine that began in February of 1837 and ended in April of 1939. Dickens based Oliver Twist on his own childhood and wrote it as a way of expressing his views in how the rich treated the poor, Dickens wrote in instalments because it would have cost more to publish and buy the book, this means when the book was published every chapter ends in a cliff-hanger, the instalments were mainly read by the middle class to give them a perspective on the lifestyle of a working class person and show why not to treat them in a unsatisfactory manner. The poor laws played a key part in chapter two of the novel because Oliver was forced to work in a workhouse where the poor laws came into play. The poor laws allowed the poor to receive public assistance only if they lived and worked in established workhouses. Beggars risked imprisonment. Debtors were sent to prison, often with their entire families, this is what happened to Charles Dickens father as he went bankrupt and Dickens was sent to work. We will write a custom essay sample on Mrs Mann and Mr Bumble specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mrs Mann and Mr Bumble specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mrs Mann and Mr Bumble specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Workhouses were deliberately made to be as miserable as possible in order to deter the poor from relying on public assistance. In this essay I shall be writing about how Charles Dickens presents a powerful critique of Victorian society and the poor, paying attention to chapter two of Oliver Twist. Chapter two marks one of the turning points of the novel. Firstly Oliver is sent to a workhouse because there was no female then domiciled on the house who was in a situation to impart to Oliver Twist, the consolation and nourishment of which he stood in need. This enabled the poor laws to act on Oliver as he would live and work in an established workhouse which allowed him to receive assistance from the public if he needed it. Dickens made us sympathise for Oliver in chapter two because of how he is treated and because of his physical state, on Olivers ninth birthday he and two other young gentlemen participate with him in a sound thrashing. A birthday for a nine year old at the time would be a momentous occasion, but because Oliver is needy, he is treated as a second class citizen. Mrs Mann does not feel he should have an adequate party but instead to mark the special event Oliver and some other innocent children should be beaten. Dickens makes us sympathise more for Oliver because of his lack of education, this happens when Oliver meets the board of fat gentlemen, they ask him You know youre an orphan I suppose? to which Oliver replies dumfounded Whats that sir? . Oliver was frightened at the site of so many gentleman This tells us that Oliver is shy and he is not used to speaking to adults because he is scared they will beat him as the only adult he knows well is Mrs Mann who beats him on a regular basis, the experience changes Olivers view on adults as in his opinion they are mostly all bad, the reader feels mercy for Oliver at this point because they know Oliver doesnt know that the board will decide on his future and if he does anything incorrect in the presence of the board the consequences will be dire. Lack of empathy form the gentlemen is shown by the quotes and also Olivers lack of common education, everything bad the board notice about Oliver is what they have not taught him, their own faults are shown in him. Dickens shows inhumanity of others towards Oliver because he is sent to the workhouse, which is meant for Juvenile offenders. He is also treated inhumanly as Mr Bumble gave the little wicket a tremendous shake. Wicket is a metaphor for Oliver Twist, referring to him as a thin object; he is treated inhumanly as without warning he is shook. Olivers only crime is being poor. At the time there was a huge gap between the rich and the poor due to industrialisation. This meant that the poor were left to survive in unpleasant, overcrowded conditions, and were treated harshly by the rich. Generally the upper and middle classes thought very little of the working class citizens in Victorian times. The English middle-class society saw those who could not support themselves as immoral and evil, Oliver is not immoral and evil he is the opposite, the immoral and evil are quite clearly the board, Mrs Mann and Mr Bumble. Dickens displays this in chapter 2; the attitudes of the upper class are illustrated in the form of the board and the beadle. Oliver is treated like an animal by Mr Bumble. Mr. Bumble gave him a tap on the head, with his cane, to wake him up: and another on the back to make him lively: Mr Bumble wakes Oliver up like a person would try and wake up a dog, he believes Oliver is not a real person but a dirty animal that should not be spoken or touched by his master and obey his master, the narrator gives his view of what the board think of the orphanage, The board made periodical pilgrimages to the farm . The narrator is implying that the board and upper classes refer to the orphanage as a farm and the children are animals who dont deserve to live. The board are described as eight or ten fat gentleman who sit around a table, Dickens produces humour by making a particularly fat gentleman in a higher position than the rest, Dickens ranks the gentleman in how overweight they are, so the most obese would have the highest authority. Mrs Mann and Mr Bumble are the two people, who are supposed to take care of Oliver Twist, but instead Mrs Mann physically abuses Oliver and the other children in her care and Mr Bumble treats him like a worthless waste of life. Mrs Mann and Mr Bumble role play when they are around each other, Mrs Mann acts as a good Christian woman as she uses religious language like bless-em but she is not a good Christian and Mr Bumble exaggerates his authority by using the method of repetition, he uses complicated language in his sentence like here upon parochial business with the parochial orphans? Are you aweer, Mrs. Mann, that you are, as I may say, a parochial delegate, and a stipendiary?