American Identity in Emerson and Angelou's Literature

Introduction: Defining American Identity Through Literature

The diversity within the American experience, and within the canon of American literature, precludes the possibility of singling out two or even ten novels, poems, or short stories that best encapsulate what it means to be American. From the colonial and early national era and the fledgling formation of national identity, through the struggles of emancipation from slavery and transcendentalism, and onward to the industrial and capitalist eras, American literature has provided an accurate reflection of the lives of individuals and communities that comprise life in different regions of the country. Geographic and cultural differentiations also help to expand what it means to be American, taking into account race, class, gender, and generation.

Threads that tie together Americans throughout time — in spite of radical differences in worldview — include staunch independence and self-reliance, coupled with a profound optimism. Trust in the democratic process is also a critical component of American identity, played out profoundly in the literature of the nation. Yet the setbacks and disillusionment of the twentieth century also reveal the dark underbelly of the American experience through novels that defined their generation. Taking into account the most defining features of American identity, two works from two different periods and from two vastly different authors that best encapsulate what it means to be American are Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance" and Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Genre, Perspective, and the Theme of Liberation

From a strictly literary perspective, Emerson's "Self-Reliance" functions as an essay or polemic in which the author expounds on his philosophical standpoint, whereas Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is an autobiographical novel. As such, the latter contains much more symbolism and metaphor than the former, which offers a more straightforward insight into what it means to be American. Like other seminal works of African American literature — from slave narratives onward — Angelou's text focuses on the theme of liberation: of knowing that freedom is possible and being willing to persist through oppression, trauma, ridicule, and all manner of demeaning circumstances in order to pave the way for a better America for future generations.

Like Frederick Douglass, for instance, Angelou knew that the Constitution prohibited the maltreatment of women and women of color. The title of Angelou's autobiography speaks volumes about her understanding of what it means to be American. An American is someone who sings loudly and proudly in spite of being oppressed, knowing full well that the ideals of the society will ultimately prevail. Compared with Angelou's autobiographical novel, Emerson's essay on self-reliance presents a starkly different picture of what it means to be American. Emerson writes from the perspective of someone who never experienced discrimination as Angelou did, yet — like Angelou — he advocates the cultivation of inner strength, of believing in oneself and one's convictions and never giving in. As different as these two works of literature may seem, they share a core belief in the value of optimism amid adversity and the importance of nonconformity.

Nonconformity as a Shared American Value

The theme of nonconformity — of the willingness to go against even one's own family — is what these two disparate works share most in common with one another and with the broader corpus of American literature. Angelou begins her memoir by referring to her "black ugly dream," as she imagines that her "real hair" was "long and blonde" (4). As the reader progresses through her journey of self-awareness and awakening, the narrator realizes that she has internalized a tyrannical, hollow sense of self that is profoundly anti-American. Being Black and being female is as American as any other marker of identity. To truly be American is to believe in equality and to practice the ethics of social justice in every interaction.

Emerson does not acknowledge his white privilege in writing "Self-Reliance," and yet he would recognize in Angelou her own independence and unwillingness to succumb to the depressive and oppressive conditions of being a caged bird. Just as Angelou pushes against the prevailing stereotypes and norms imposed on Black women, Emerson states outright, "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist." Emerson is more severe in his approach to nonconformity, decrying organized religion and even belittling ordinary human relationships; but Angelou, too, deals with the despair she feels when confronted with those in the African American community who do not accept her for who she is or who she wishes to become. Her self-expression is as radically self-reliant as that of Emerson. The main difference is that, as a white male, Emerson would not have encountered nearly as many barriers or obstacles as Angelou did throughout her life.

Conclusion: The Ongoing Relevance of Both Works

Together, Emerson's "Self-Reliance" and Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings illuminate the full breadth of the American experience — its idealism, its failures, and its enduring capacity for renewal. Both authors champion the individual's right to define themselves on their own terms, and both works challenge readers to question the social norms and systems that limit human potential. Read together, they offer a richer and more honest portrait of American identity than either could provide alone.

Works Cited

Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance." archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/emerson/essays/selfreliance.html