writing_womans_lives_symposium_paper_book_v2

Therefore, Angelou is indicating that this is not just, about her fighting for her own identity but it
should be understood in the context of the tradition of the ex‐slaves renaming themselves to free
themselves of their master's control. This is a pivotal stage in the progress of the protest movement,
as young Angelou has to express her dissatisfaction over her identity being dehumanized. The nonviolent
approach of the older generation is not sufficient for her so her anger is transmitted through
a violent reaction, the breaking of Mrs. Cullinan's precious china dishes. The violent shattering of the
dishes is symbolic as it is a representation of Angelou breaking the restrictions put on her identity
and reclaiming her name back from Mrs. Cullinan who realizes the importance of this act of
resistance as she immediately reminds everyone that: "'Her name's Margaret, goddamn it, her
name's Margaret'." 17 This is an essential phase in the resistant movement as Angelou's method of
protest has developed into a more violent version than the previous generation's style. Similar
connections exist between Angelou's depiction of this stage and the "turning point" phase of slave
narratives, which critics such as Butterfield and Smith describe as a transition between the passive to
active resistance of slaves against their master's extreme cruelty.
Angelou narrates a different aspect of the protest movement in the graduation event, the
communal protest, rather than the individual one. The speech of the white speaker, Mr. Donleavy, in
the graduation ceremony is significant since it does not only emphasize the persistent inequality
existing in the segregated community even in educational aspects but also the bleak predetermined
future for the young generation. Angelou rephrases the intention of Donleavy's speech with this
statement: "The white kids were going to have a chance to become Galileos and Madame Curies and
Edisons and Gauguins, and our boys (the girls weren't even in on it) would try to be Jesse Owenses
and Joe Louises." 18 The graduation degradation should not be considered as an isolated event,
however, since from Angelou's perspective, it is considered as a pinnacle of years of constant
struggle with racism. She reveals her frustration at the grim situation of her people: "It was awful to
be Negro and have no control over my life. It was brutal to be young and already trained to sit quietly
and listen to charges brought against my color with no chance of defense." 19 Through these
sentences, Angelou is giving the signal of change in the attitude towards resisting racism and
prejudice and that the older generation's submissive ways are not suitable anymore.
As this experience is a collective humiliation, the rendition of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" by James
Weldon Johnson which is referred to as the Negro national anthem, takes the significance of a
protest poem. The use of poetry in this scene is not only to express dissent but also to show the unity
of the community over a common cause, which is similar to the protest marches of the Civil Rights
era. It also reminds the readers of an earlier event when Grandmother Henderson uses hymns in
resistance against the humiliation caused by the "powhitetrash" girls. Angelou, who consistently
connects the tradition of folklore and literature with the protest movement, emphasizes the
influence of literary figures on expressing their struggles in this passage: "Oh, Black known and
unknown poets how often have you auctioned pains sustained us? Who will compute the lonely
nights made less lonely by your songs, or the empty pots made less tragic by your tales." 20 This quote
can also relate to the role of Angelou as a writer who uses her own autobiography as a protest text to
try to be the representative for her community's struggle and ordeals.
The case of the white dentist who refuses to treat young Marguerite's toothache due to her race
is important in Angelou's transitional stage of protest. After the graduation event, this is again a
reminder of the constant inequality in the services provided in a segregated community. However, it
is also significant since it challenges the older generation's tactics of protest through the element of
imagination, which is transferred, to her readers in italics. The use of imagination to confront the
racist dentist by imagining her grandmother as heroic and the font change all are signs of Angelou
concluding that the previous generation's protest methods are not suitable for the present
generation anymore. The last sentence of the chapter shows that Angelou is ready to move to the
next stage: "I preferred, much preferred, my version." 21
Finally, Angelou's gradual protest development has reached its last stage, active protest. The
transition from non‐active to active is completed in this stage. Upon being refused the right to apply
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