Hermeneutics Expressed Through Maya Angelou’s Literary Work “My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness” (Maya Angelou). A big response when most hear this quote by Angelou is that she must be a good person who has gone through a lot yet always had a positive outlook on it. However, what many fail to realize is the full extent of Angelou’s experiences; not only what she has gone through but how she dealt with it. As a result of her experiences, Angelou expresses her beliefs through a multitude of lenses, causing different interpretations and ideas on topics for the readers. Throughout Maya Angelou’s experiences and stages of life she gained knowledge, which eventually …show more content…
The memoir contains intense themes to find self-identity within Angelou. At the age of three, Marguerite Johnson (otherwise called Maya) and Bailey Johnson moved to a small community of African Americans in Stamps, Arkansas to live with their grandmother. This is due to their parents divorce. In this time period Angelou grew her interest in literature, reading writers like Edgar Allen Poe and Shakespeare. After four years in Stamps, Maya and Bailey moved to St. Louis, Missouri with their mother. However, Maya was sexually assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend. Her rapist was later jailed and, after his release, was killed. Maya, believing her confession to the traumatic event was the cause of his death, becomes mute for six years. Subsequently, Maya and Bailey are sent back to Stamps and, gradually, Maya recovers from her mutism. Along with other obstacles, such as racism and sexism. Although these obstacles seem tough, they helped build perseverance in Maya’s character. Soon after, they went to California to live with their mother once again. However, Maya encounters physical abuse with her father’s girlfriend and ends up running …show more content…
People develop positive feelings toward their captors or abusers over time.” (Cleveland Clinic). However, in this case, Angelou’s abuser happens to be her intimate partner, which she had previously had a connection with. This is probably the main reason she gave sympathy to his actions and behaviors. With this poem in mind, Angelou lets other people in abusive relationships know that they are not alone and these confusing thoughts are experienced through Angelou as well. All in all, Maya Angelou was an inspiring writer and influenced many themes in life. Personally, a lot of her beliefs I agree with and therefore support many of her poems and literature. It’s also a very different writing style compared to other ones I have read which I have come to thoroughly enjoy. One of my all time favorites is “Harlem Hopscotch.” It’s a song which uses metaphors to discuss a larger-picture issue. The difficult game of hopscotch is symbolic of the struggles in Harlem, whether you are black or not in an ideal societal class, there are certain expectations society wants you to