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Maya Angelou and Jay Gatsby
The two works of art are similar in many aspects though they also hold quite a number of differences when it comes to the characters and the themes covered in the works.
Maya Angelou's work is more of an autobiography since it tells of the life experience of the character called Marguerite's also called "My" or "Maya" and the challenges that she undergoes. This character is highly agreed I various literary works to be the author immersed in the novel and talking of her challenges in the life path. It is also considered a Bildungsroman since it traces her life as she grows from naivety through to maturity.
On the other hand The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is considered a plain novel and not an autobiography. The novel's setting in terms of time is at the later age of Gatsby after he has served in the military during the WWI while that of Maya is from a tender age to the age of 17 years old.
Due to these differences in time setting, there are various differences that come into play between the main characters in the two novels. Gatsby has the quest for a luxurious life that transcends his class; this is why at some point in time he fakes the riches just to be able to win over Daisy who was from a richer background. Gatsby is an escapist from reality and wants to bend the truth. In a stark contrast, Maya does not engage in frivolous activities to get into a lavish lifestyle...
she faces the poverty reality and does not fake any rich class belonging even in the face of aggravated racism that surrounded them in Stamps, Arkansas.
In the case of Gatsby, he struggles to gain self-actualization and making a statement in the society about his status in a bid to rebut the discrimination and racism that there was. This is why he throws several parties to peers and invites women whom he would like to impress. On the other hand, Maya struggles against racism and life situations through engaging in education. She faces the true nature of racism in Arkansas at that time. Indeed she is moved from one state to another in pursuit of her safety but keeps striving hard to overcome the racism stigma through education, a totally different approach from that of Gatsby.
The character Maya is also shaped by the writer Maya Angelou to be a figure of symbol and a role model for the African-American women, a figure of resilience and perseverance. She goes from a stage of being a…
Maya Angelou attained international fame in 1969 with the publication of her first book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings; however, the seeds of her acclaim were planted long before. Raised primarily by her grandmother in Arkansas, Maya attributed her first important lessons to the woman she affectionately calls "Momma." With those lessons and other hard-earned knowledge, Maya progressed from being a victim of racism and sexual brutality with
It is almost impossible to exaggerate the importance with which Maya viewed this incident, saying "If Joe lost we were back in slavery and beyond help. It would all be true, the accusations that we were lower types of human beings. Only a little higher than the apes" (Angelou, Chapter 19). This is not the only time that violence and black males are associated in the novel, nor the only
Angelou understands that part of her role is to be a leader (which encompasses more than the idea of "role model" although it certainly parallels it in many ways this idea) by asking others to be attentive to language. For example, in an interview for the Paris Review, she said: When I'm writing, I am trying to find out who I am, who we are, what we're capable of, how we
Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices in the recent time. She is a celebrated poet, novelist, actor and filmmaker. In her early life, she experienced the brutality of racial discrimination based on the situation at the time (Goodman 21). Her experiences in life had an influence in her work as she touched on the issues of racism and sexism over the years. Her poems, in
/ Weakened by my soulful cries." (Angelou, 7) Thus, the overall message of the poem is not very different from that of the first text, Phenomenal Woman. Again, the writer celebrates her own self as an emblematic image of the entire people. Pride and self-esteem are the major ingredients in the writer's cogent and powerful discourse. She declares her haughtiness and the pleasure she takes in her own self, suggesting
Additionally she has time to lecturer and mentor students. This approach to one's career is very inspiring. She is doing what she wants to do. This of course did not occur overnight; she clawed her way through difficulty and discouragement to be able to experience the sweet taste of success. Maya Angelou also has a generous side to her personality and regularly gives money to charitable organizations and worthy