搜索
CriticalEssay#3:TheComing-of-AgeTheme(outline)Growingupisanimportantstageinourlifeasitbringsusnotonlyhappinessbutalsosorrow,justlikeapennywithitstwosides.Inparagraph27,28and32ofMayaAngelou’sclassicautobiography“IKnowWhytheCagedBirdSings”,wecanfeelthepainanddifficultyofMayaandBailey’scoming-of-agestraightaway.Inchapter27,28and32,Angelou,relyingonbothliteralandfigurativeimagery,bringsoutthecoming-of-agethemeassheportraysMayatakingmajorstepsinherprocessofgrowthandchangeregardingthesub-themesofdisplacement,theinter-relatedstrengthsofherself-confidenceandself-esteem,andalsoindependence.Firstly，Angeloumentionedafterhercomingofage,therewasnolongeronlytheemotionofdisplacement,therewasfeelingoffittingin.Inchapter27,paragraph8Angeloumentionedthat“Thenthecityactedinwartimelikeanintelligentwomanundersiege.Shegavewhatshecouldn’twithsafetywithhold,andsecuredthosethingswhichlayinherreach…Friendlybutnevergushing,coolbutnotfrigidordistant,distinguishedwithouttheawfulstiffness”.(Citation:paragraph8).AsAngeloumentioned,thecityshelivedisawisewomanwhotakesandgivesproperlyandshebecametheidealofshewantedtobeasagrownup.ThisimageisapersonificationthereforethewisewomanisSanFrancisco,thecity.Shepersonifiedthecityandheridolwasn’tanyonebutthecity,directlyshowedhersenseofbelonginginthiscity.It’sasignofgrowingupinthiscity.Also,thecharacteristicshewantedtohaveinthisexample,implyinghermother,Vivian,whichshowssheismatureenoughtohaveherownlife-goal.Inchapter27,Paragraph8,Angeloumentionedthat“Theairofcollectivedisplacement,theimpermanenceoflifeinwartimeandthegauchepersonalitiesofthemorerecentarrivalstendedtodissipatemyownsenseofnotbelonging.ThisimageisametaphorthereforetheairisthecollectivedisplacementoftheblackscomingintoSanFrancisco.AsAngeloumentioned,whileeveryblackpeopleimmigratingtoSFhadthesamedisplacementlikeshedidandtheyarenotasperfectasthosewhitepeople,shenolongerfeltthedisplacement.Thatshowsshewasfittinginthepeoplearoundhernow,andthisisanotherevidenceofgrowingup.Inchapter27,paragraph8,Angeloumentionedthat”InSanFrancisco,forthefirsttime,Iperceivedmyselfaspartofsomething”.Thisisanotherclearliteralimage,itdirectlyconveysthefeelingoffittingin,asanotherevidenceofthecomingofage.AsAngeloumentionedintheseexamples,sheshowedherfeelofbelonginginSF.Secondly,asmostofthepeopledo,whileMayagrownup,shehadmuchmoreself-confidenceandself-esteemthanshedidbefore.DuringthemonthAngelouspentintheyard,shedidalotofthingsshehadneverdonebeforesuchasdancing,shementionedthat:“OnSaturdaynightweenteredthejitterbugcontestattheSilverSlipper,whetherwecoulddanceornot”ThisisaliteralimagethatshowsAngelouisnolongertheshygirlbefore.Thisimageconveysthesub-themethatAngelouisnowgettingself-confidenceanditcontraststheimageintheprologuethatsheevencannotgiveapreparedspeechinfrontofthechurch.Inchapter28,paragraph5insection2,Mayamentionedthat“Myshynessatmovingcladinblacktightsaroundalargeemptyroomdidnotlastlong.”Inthisliteralimage,Mayabringsoutherself-confidencethatsheisnolongerfeelinginferiorforherbadbody-shape.Also,Thisimagecontrastswiththeprologue“Acruelfairystepmotherhadturnedmeintoatoo-bigNegrogirl,withnappyblackhair,broadfeetandaspacebetweenherteeththatwouldholdanumber-twopencil”.Lastbutnotleast,inparagraph2ofsection2inchapter28,Angeloumentionedthat“WhenBaileyandIreadpoemstogether,hesoundedlikeafierceBasilRathboneandIlikeamaddenedBetteDavis.”ThisisasimileanditshowshowMayadevoteherselftothepoemreadinganditshowstheself-confidenceMayahasafterhercoming-of-age.Theseexamplesapparentlyshowedthecoming-of-agegaveAngelouconfidencetodothethingssheneverdidbefore.Lastbutnotleast,AngelouexperiencedtheindependencelifeinSFaseverygrown-updo.Angeloudescribedherjunkyardstoryinparagraph32as“Mycarwasanislandandthejunkyardasea’”ThisisaT1metaphorandahyperbolethereforetheislandisthecarandthejunkyardisexaggeratedasasea.ThisisthefirsttimeMayaliveindependentlyandtheislandimpliesthatsheisoutofhomeandalongintheseaofotherpeople.Thisimagebringsofthesub-themeofindependenceandshowstheresultofgrowingup.Thereisanotherdescriptionofthelifeinthejunkyardinchapter32,Angeloudescribeditas”Theideaofsleepinginthenearopenbolsteredmysenseoffreedom.Iwasaloosekiteinagentlewindfloatingwithonlymywillforananchor.”ThisimageisaT1&T4metaphorthereforetheloosekiteisMayaandtheanchorisasafeplaceforhertosettledown.Daretosleepinanearopenisagreatevidenceofindependenceandshehasherownabilitytolookforaplacetosettledownbringsoutthethemeofthecoming-of-age.Furthermore,inchapter32,aftersheheardfromVivian,Angelousaidthat“Itwouldbeeasierifshe(Vivian)simplysentmyfaretotheairline,thenI’dpickitup.’Angelou’swordsafterhermaturityshowedthatshehasabilitytocomeupwithherownsolutionandinthiscaseistopersonallypickuptheticketanditcontraststhetripstheytookbeforewhichisMommasolvealltheticketproblemsforherandBailey.Andthisisanotherevidenceofgrowingupthatsheisabletodothingsindependently.ComingofagechangedAngeloualotwhileshediscoveredtheadvantagesofherself.Inchapter27,28and32ofAngelou’sautobiography,shebringsoutthecoming-of-agethemeassheportraysherselftakingmaj