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Summary Of Part Five Of Angela Davis

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Part Five of Angela Davis: An Autobiography, opens with the words of Wallace Stevens “The hand between the candle and the wall Grows large on the wall... It must be that the hand Has a will to grow larger on the wall, To grow larger and heavier than the wall” (Stevens 281). As Part Five details Davis’ struggles with the prison system in California after being moved, this preface seems to indicate Davis’ growing desire to outgrow the wall of oppression she faces, and even tear it down from the inside. At the beginning of the part, Davis notices herself being separated by her brothers and sisters by walls and other objects as if to show that the wall is what must be conquered what separates her from her purpose and cause “On the other side of the gate a crowd had gathered and when I got out of the car, they let out a clamorous ‘Free Angela Davis and all political prisoners!’ Still handcuffed, I made the …show more content…

The references to Davis’ hands being used as the representation of her pride and rebellion are also seen in her court appearance, as the newspaper itself states, “‘ Angela Davis accused of murder and kidnapping, strode confidently into a Marin County courtroom, raised a clenched fist, and later told the judge, ‘I am innocent of all charges.’’” (Davis 292). The sign of the fist and its’ growing presence and influence may have been written here to show Davis as aggressive and abrasive when it actually showcases her conviction to be free of the walls that have wrongly imprisoned her. Davis has many small victories in her quest to prove her innocence, and the hand of change she shows continues to grow and get stronger until it finally makes a difference. This is clearly shown in the decision to remove capital punishment from California and make it so Davis could finally make steps toward freedom, “But there it

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