Mrs Flowers Significance Upon Maya To Literature example essay topic

The Effects of One Person Upon The World From an apprehensive child growing up in a small town in Arkansas, Maya Angelou has evolved into an influential, wise, and respected woman. She has overcome obstacles and has grown into one of the 'elite intellectual people of this country, and perhaps the world. Along her numerous struggles, various people have given her positive guidance and passed down their knowledge to her. Among these people was Mrs. Bertha Flowers, a person in which Maya respected greatly. She was a dignified person that Maya could strive to achieve the gratitude that Mrs. Flowers gave to the people around her, a sense of appreciation. In her life story, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou attributes her characteristics she has acquired today, being influential, wise, and respected, to Mrs. Flowers, who shows her the power of a voice, the knowledge of literature, and pride in her race, and turns a self-conscious girl, into one of the most profound writers of our time.

Mrs. Flowers enlightened Maya on the importance, and dominant effect, of expression through an individual voice. Earlier in her life, Maya was sexually molested and raped, and as a result, became dormant towards society. This was such a traumatizing event in her life that struck her obviously, in a physical sense, but moreover, mentally. Where she was once a brilliant outgoing child, she became a quiet, somber adult. As a result of this, Mrs. Flowers stepped in and told Maya to, '... bear in mind, language is man's way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language alone which separates him from the lower animals. ' ; The intellect and beauty of Mrs. Flowers was shown through this quote which she educated Maya.

If that was the only thing she ever mentioned to Maya, the beauty of the words alone could have changed her from a cocoon sleeping in the darkness, into a butterfly fluttering alongside the sun. Without Mrs. Flowers introduction and reasoning to speech, Maya would never have realized the power of the voice and would have been dormant from society the rest of her life. In addition to the importance of voice, Mrs. Flowers opened Maya's to literature, and the knowledge it brings. Earlier in Angelou's life, she was interested in comics and some poetry, but now a new outlook was imposed upon her, the power literature.

This discovery changed her life drastically. From a child who once wished for a super hero to rescue her from the monster who was molesting her, Maya now realized the truth and what can be solved through knowledge and what can't be solved through imagination. Consequently, Maya began reading classic novels such as A Tale of Two Cities. Thus, her love for books began. She had always understood poetry greatly; especially for a poor black child who received a limited education, but never made the connection that a novel would and put it into perspective to the reality of life. With all of this understanding and appreciation in regard to literature, Maya became the acclaimed author that she is today.

Furthermore, Mrs. Flowers influenced Maya to be the proud, black woman she is today. She saw Mrs. Flowers as, '... the aristocrat of Stamps... She was our side's answer to the richest white woman in town. ' ; Maya wasn't afraid to hold her head up and let it face the sun. She became a Black person, instead of a Negro.

In addition, Maya saw the similarities in races through Mrs. Flowers. She wore ivory gloves, which were only worn by the 'privileged'; whites. Through Mrs. Flowers Maya saw how people are the same, no matter that race. This led her to the writings of the black times when she struggled. Through Maya Angelou's book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Mrs. Flowers was the most vital key to how Maya bloomed into a woman with strength, intellect, and integrity. She taught her the power of speech, which would one day assist her with her inauguration speech for President Clinton.

Obviously, no one can question Mrs. Flowers significance upon Maya to literature. Through this literature, Maya wrote about the times of racism and struggles of the black race. She wasn't timid to describe the social discrimination and knew that others must learn of the disturbing past. It would be an understatement to say that Mrs. Flowers influenced Maya's life; she indirectly transformed thousands of individual's minds through teaching Maya the importance of words, literature, and the pride in the black race.