A Thousand Acres By William Shakespeare - 2620 Words

Shakespeare have influenced many generations of writers since his demise and he continues to have a massive impact on modern-day plays, movies, and poems. Whether it be a title of a book or lines of the protagonist, Shakespeare’s presence can be felt in every genre of writing. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley is also one such piece of writing. This novel came out in 1991 and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Based on Shakespeare’s King Lear, this novel is set on a thousand acre farm in Iowa owned by a father with three daughters. The narration is done by Ginny, the eldest daughter. There are many similarities between the character development of King Lear and A Thousand Acres, along with the plot. Throughout this paper we’ll be exploring the similarities and differences between these works which belong to entirely different eras (King Lear from Shakespearian times and A Thousand Acres from late 20th century). Apart from the principle texts, we have used several articles published in various magazines and journals as well as available online. The analyses of these literary work as depicted in these articles helped us to develop a better understanding of the topic. King Lear The story starts in old Britain, where the aging King Lear is deciding to give up his power and divide his realm between his three daughters, Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. Lear plans to give the largest portion of his kingdom to the child who admits to love him the most. Goneril and Regan,Show MoreRelatedA Thousand Acres By William Shakespeare1726 Words   |  7 PagesLake Crawford Crawford-Parker Engl 105 3 November 2014 A Thousand Acres A Thousand Acres is a brilliant novel that puts a modern twist on Shakespeare’s King Lear. Jane Smiley spends a great amount of time describing the modern labels that society places on the different genders. Females are described as inferior to men; they spend their days cooking, cleaning, and trying to remain anonymous. The men in the story are portrayed as the patriarchal figures; they rule over their family with an iron fistRead More Comapring Father/Daughter Relationships in King Lear and A Thousand Acres1129 Words   |  5 PagesFather/Daughter Relationships in King Lear and A Thousand Acres   Ã‚  Ã‚   The bond between a father and a daughter stands as one of the strongest emotional bonds present within many families. From the moment their little girls emerge from the womb to the moment their young women marry, the father reigns as the head of the household, the controller, and the protector. Though this rings true for many families, sometimes Daddys little girls make all the rules. They possess the ability to acquire whatRead MoreSympathy Seeking : A Thousand Acres From Shakespeare s King Lear2906 Words   |  12 PagesShreyas Tallamraju Ms. Laura Fitch AP English 12 1 April 2015 Sympathy-Seeking: The Alteration of Characters and their Circumstances To Manipulate Audience Sympathy in Smiley’s A Thousand Acres from Shakespeare’s King Lear There are few names as commonplace, ubiquitous, and recognizable as that of William Shakespeare. His enchanting story telling, complex plot twists, and brilliant usage of rhetoric make it easy to understand why connoisseurs of the English language are devotees to his style ofRead MoreKing Lear and A Thousand Acres Comparative Literary Analysis1386 Words   |  6 PagesKing Lear, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, is about the delegation of power from the old generation to the young, new generation. Furthermore, the play demonstrates problems that can arise from a transfer made too early, from one generation to the next. A Thousand Acres is a modern retelling of King Lear, that is similar to King Lear, but it is not an exact word for word copy. The overall plot has been retained from King Lear, but some of the minor details have been changed to provide an intriguingRead More Comparing Jane Smileys A Thousand Acres and William Shakespeares King Lear2135 Words   |  9 PagesComparing Jane Smileys A Thousand Acres and William Shakespeares King Lear Jane Smileys novel A Thousand Acres is a modern version of William Shakespeares King Lear.   The tragic ideas brought out by King Lear are revisited in A Thousand Acres both containing universal themes in which societies from past to present can identify with.   Tragedy is a form of drama that depicts the suffering of a heroic individual who is often overcome by the very obstacles he is struggling to remove.   The novelRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice And The Crucible1337 Words   |  6 Pagesimportant for some individuals that they use violence to acquire it. Violence can often cause jealousy, greed and hatred for each another. It is the violence of many humans that can lead them into doing such â€Å"unforgivable† acts. In both the plays, William Shakespeare and Arthur Miller with their famous novels, The Merchant of Venice and The Crucible, have shown how Grudges and Rivalries can cause such destruction in the lives of the people and the society in this play. In The Merchant of Venice, GrudgesRead More Hamlet and the Oedipus Complex Essay1218 Words   |  5 Pagesis revealed that Hamlet did love Ophelia, was upon her funeral. Hamlet bursts out saying, I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not†¦ Make up my sum†¦ Swounds, show me what thou’lt do†¦ woo ’t drink up eisel? Eat a crocodile? I’ll do ‘t†¦ Be buried quick with her, and so will I. And if thou prate of mountains, let them throw Millions of acres on us, till out ground, †¦ Make Ossa like a wart! (5.1.292-306) In this saying, it is evidenced that Hamlet really did care for Ophelia;Read More Doubt Of Shakespeares Authorship Of His Plays Essay2378 Words   |  10 PagesHis Plays Over the years, various persons have expressed doubt as to the authorship of William Shakespeare. These doubts are as old as his plays. American author, Henry James once said, quot;I am haunted by the conviction that the divine William is the biggest and the most successful fraud ever practiced on a patient world. (Hoffman 27) On the other hand, author Calvin Hoffman was convinced that Shakespeare was quot;the author of the most magnificent English dramatic prose and poetry ever writtenRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1142 Words   |  5 PagesThe tragedy of Hamlet was an inordinately fascinating play with many profoundly intriguing characters that did a great many heroic and disappointing things despite the intricacy and arduousness to understand the true personality William Shakespeare intended for each. At the beginning of the play, as Hamlet has decided to pretend madness, he pretends he does not love Ophelia anymore, he even rejects her and insults her (Act 3, scene 1). This, of course, means that he has been in love with her beforeRead MoreCultural Disenchantment in a Postwar Climate Illustrated in Virginia Woolf’s Novel Mrs. Dalloway2198 Words   |  9 Pagesintended to overcome (Woolf, 72). The oppressive social expectations that Clarissa struggled under in her adolescence are significantly lighter for her daughter, who sees herself as â€Å"a pioneer, a stray, venturing, trusting,† who â€Å"might own a thousand acres and have people under her â€Å"(Woolf, 135-6). As the only young character in the novel, Elizabeth becomes a symbol of England’s adolescent generation who will shoulder the responsibility of social reconstruction. As such, Elizabeth’s most significant

The Strength Of Feminine Role C. Talbot s Christina Of...

Mother May I? : an Analysis of the Strength of the Feminine Role in C. H. Talbot’s Christina of Markyate Feminism is often perceived as a ludicrous belief where women do not shave and they preach that they are being mistreated; but that would be how the patriarchy sees it. The patriarchy would have people believing that women are irrational and weak, but the story of Christina of Markyate would argue the opposite. Christina has many women in her life, including herself, that show the power and strength of the female. One of the first women that the reader is introduced to is Christina’s mother Beatrix, who in a way, represents the patriarchy and herself as a strong woman. Beatrix acts as an evil stepmother because she wants her daughter to marry or at least no longer be a virgin, â€Å"she would not care who deflowered her daughter, provided that some way of deflowering her could be found†¦ would put no term to her malice, and as she could not break her daughter’s will, tried to gain satisfaction from the shameful sufferings she inflicted on her† (Petroff 144). On the one hand, she represents the patriarchy because she will do anything she can in order for her daughter to be under the rule of a man; in other words, a proper and good girl who is submissive and a wife. However, she also shows her power as a woman because she is violent and aggressive towards her daughte r and is strong in her convictions. Because Beatrix takes charge of Christina and acts as both a mother and

Eight Theories of Change Management Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Eight Theories of Change Management. Answer: Introduction In the competitive world, it is essential for every organization to come out with the functional and systematize changes for the business and implementation of new technologies to meet the customer demands and requirements. Organization is needed to remove the immaterial and unsystematic methods and try to concentrates on the desirable plan of action in order to implementing thechange management in the business. Change management is a structured process which requires time factor, skills, enthusiasm and efforts in the execution of the change management. The change management in the organization requires the participation of both the staff and managers of the organization. Organizational change management is a framework for managing the impacts and effects of changes in the corporate culture and new business processes with an enterprise. For this purpose, aChange Management theory provides several theories which can be adopted by the business in bringing out the organizational changes . But, before adopting any theories by the organization from its current state to desired state, it is important for the business to identify the need of changes and how these changes will turn into the benefits for the organization. The main theories of change management are: Lewins Change Management Theory McKinsey 7-S Theory Kotters Change Management Theory Nudge Change Management Theory ADKAR Change Management Theory Bridges Transition Change Management Theory Kublers Five Stages Change Management Theory Different Theories of Change Management According to Baden-Fuller Morgan (2010), the following are some of the finest theories which can be adopted by the organization in order to executing the change management which are as follows: Lewins Change Management Theory According to Booth (2015), this Change Management theory was established by the psychologist Kurt Lewin in the year 1950. This change management theories is the most famous and useful theories to understand the organizational change. The main theories of Lewin Change Management is to describe the changes in the organizational structure through the changing requirements of the business. Lewin theories consists three stages of changes which are as follows: Unfreeze: It is the first stage of Lewin theory of change management which states that it is important for the organization to be prepared for the changes. According to Cameron Green (2015), this stage explains the importance of changes and how these changes will turns into the benefits for the organization. This stage must be commenced through the source of motivation. Transition: Once the change is commenced, transition is the second stage in which organization moves and remains fir the last time. This stage describes the correct way to make the process easier for employees or individuals who are participating in the organizational process. Appropriate leadership and assistance are the important keys in this stage to run the process successfully. Refreeze: After the successfully implementation of changes had been accepted, organization start to become stable again. This is the reason to call the stage as refreeze. This stage requires that organization have to ensure that that the employees are operated under the acquired changes. McKinsey 7-S Theory McKinsey theory is created by the Robert Waterman, Tom Peters, Richard Pascale and Anthony Athos in 1978. According to Cavalcante et al.(2011), this theory continues even when the other theories came in or fades out. McKinsey 7-S theory examines the organizational structure which consisting 7 factors to managing the change in the organization. The main seven factors are: Strategy: Strategy is created to initiate a plan with the objective to achieve the competitive benefits and run profitably. Skills: It refers to the abilities of organizational employees to perform their best. This stage includes the actual skills and competencies of employees working in the organization. Style: This stage represents the way of implementation and acceptance of changes in the organization. Staff: It refers to the workforce or employees and their working capabilities. Systems: This stage refers to the processes which show the daily activities of the employees who are engaged in getting the task done. Structure: It refers to the formation of organization and includes the information of who reports to whom. Shared values: A shared value refers to the core values and standards which will direct the behavior of employees and maintain the corporate culture and ethics of an organization (Chiaroni et al., 2011) Kotters Change Management Theory According to Freeman (2011), Kotters theory was created by the John Kotter and Dan Cohen and it is the famous theories adopted in the world. The theory is divided into eight stages where each stage concentrates on the key principle in relation to the people respond to change. The eight stages which are involved in this theory are as follows: Build urgency: This stage show the creation of urgency among the employees with the aim to encourage them to move forward towards organizational objectives. Create Team: This stage of Kotters theory will get the right candidate for the organizational team by determining the skills, knowledge and capabilities. Make a vision: This stage creates the strategy for the right vision which includes creativity, objectives and emotional connection. Communicate vision: Communication is an important part of the change management theories of Kotter. According to Goetsch Davis (2014), organization is needed to communicate with the employees regarding the changes. Information provides to the employees regarding the changes must be relevant and remove the conflicts in the organization. Remove barriers: In order to make actions become effective, organization have to remove the barriers and hurdles and implement the respond in a positive way. Creation of goals: Organizations have to segregate the goals in small achievable targets and focus on short term goals which is helpful in achieve the organizational objectives without imposing the pressure on employees. Persistence: This stage of Kotter theory shows the persistence and dedication of employees which are the main keys to success. The stage requires that the employees of organization not to give up the process when the chain management process is conducting. Corporate change: To manage the chain management, it is important for the organization to strengthen the changes and make it a part of the corporate culture. Nudge Change Management Theory According to Hayes (2014), Nudge theory s of change management was created by the Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein. This theory can be applied to business organization as well as for business for change management. Nudge change management theories explains the importance of change as a basic necessity of the organization. This theory is also useful in exploring the exisiting influences and explaining either to eliminate them or change them. The main advantage of taken this theories by organization are to show the difference in the feelings, opinions and knowledge of people and it also examine the features of human behavior and nature. Thus, this theory reduces the conflicts from the employees of a company and can be applied to various organizations. ADKAR Change Management Theory According to Jones Sallis (2013), ADKAR stands for awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement. ADKAR is simple and powerful theories in driven the successful changes. This theory uses the framework which defines the current stage, the transition stage and future stage. ADKAR theory makes it feasible to change management teams to concentrates on those actions which are directly linked to those goals which organization wants to achieve. Under this theory, an individual can get the results in a systematic manner so that change can be implemented and executed in the organization. In other words, this theory provides the help to the employees to go through the process when the change management is taking place and remove the conflicts among the employees towards the change. Bridges Transition Change Management Theory According to Kuipers et al. (2014), the Bridges Transition theory was created by the William Bridges and was published in his book Managing Transitions. The main feature of this theory was that it focuses on transition not change. The difference between transition and change was minor as change is something that happens to people and in transition on the other side is internal which means it happened in the people mind. The transition model focuses on three stages which employees face when they experience change which are as follows: Ending, Losing and Letting go: It is the first stage of Transition change management theory in which employees of organization are introduced to change and enter into the stage that is noticed with resistance and emotional discomfort. This stage includes the some of the employee emotions which can be fear, bitterness, anger, contradiction and frustration among employees. Organization is needed to encourage the employees in order to accept the new start. Neutral Zone: Neutral zone is the second stage which is related to the confusion, frustration and uncertainty. In order to managing the change in the organization, employees may experience workload as they may use new organizational structure and the new methods of working. Thus stage is the gap between the old and new changes in the organization. This stage is related to the low morale, low productivity and concerned about their roles (Langley et al., 2013). Besides these experiences, neutral zone stage is also known for creation, renovation and alteration. Under this stage, organization can motivate and encourage their employees to try the new methods of working in an effective manner. New Stage: When the neutral zone stage is cleared with the support and direction of organization, this stage takes place with the acceptance and creation in the organization. In this stage, employees start to hold the changes and recognized its importance. This stage requires the skills needed to achieve the new goals in the organization and may begin the experiences the advantages of these changes. Kubler-Ross Five Stages Change Management Theory According to Liao Wu (2010), the Kubler Ross theory was created by the Elisabeth Kubler Ross and represents the employees feelings when they are dealing with the changes in the organization. This theory will help the organization to understand and deal with the personal stress and include the five stages that are associated with the change: Contradiction: It is the first stage in Kubler Ross theories in which no one is ready for the changes and shows resistance regarding the change and may not believe what was happening in the organization. Anger: Under the second stage of Kubler theory, the first reaction comes out in absorbing the news was anger. The contradiction change into anger when one experience that the change will affect them in real. There may be different ways of anger for different employees. Bargaining: The next stage includes the bargaining which provide the best solution to the employees to come out of the situation. Bargaining is a way which removes the ending up of the terrible cases and comes out with the natural response (Maon et al., 2010). Depression: In the organization, when employees realize that bargaining is not working properly, they may get depressed and lose faith. This is the situation when one moves into a sad state of mind. The main reason for the depression stage which the organization can identify was less motivation, low energy and non-dedication. Acceptance: This stage shows the final acceptance of changes management in the organization. When the employees are finally accept the changes and fact that what is happening is included in this theories. Cultural Web According to Shirey (2013), when commencing with the organizational change management, cultural web is termed as the most helpful device in determining the organizational core culture of the organization. The term Cultural Web refers to the representation of the organization chart and evaluates the daily behavior of employees. The cultural web recognize the six elements by which organization can see the real image of companys culture which includes what is working, what is not working and what needs to be changed. The main six steps of cultural web are as follows: Stories: This step of culture web is related to the success, failures and leaders. The stories are told by the members of the organization and to outsiders to set the goals in its current organizational history and mention the important events and characters. Symbols: Symbols refers to the marks, logos, cars and titles which can be shorthand in the representation of the organization nature. Power Structure: The power structures also have an impact on the culture of the organization. Power structure is the most useful groups which are closely attached with the core assumptions and beliefs. Organization Structures: Organization structure consist both the internal and external structure of defined by the organization paradigm and highlights the points of power and influence which affect the powers and show the important roles and relationships. Control Systems: Control systems identify the importance of changes in the organization. This step of culture web includes the reward systems which is important influences on behaviors but also show as a hurdle in the success of new strategies. Routine and Rituals: It refers to the daily behavior and activities of employees that indicates the acceptable behavior. Kotter Research Harvard Business Review According to Smith Lewis (2011), in order to make the changes successful, organization must change and focus on the structure and operations of a business to change the public behavior. Kotter research The Heart of Change provide the direction to helping the people believe and perceive in a different manner in order to achieve the shared goals. Kotter research concentrates on the attached with the peoples emotions which will have a major impact on the behavior change and the action that leads to the success. The Heat of Change is the most significant element of Kotter bestsellers Leading Change. The book includes eight steps process and defines the large scale change of work in the organization. Kotter present the methods and procedures that show how employees get encouraged and motivated to reduce their barriers to change and produce effective results. Kotter research initiates the creation that appeals the employees to spring into action. Kotter research The Heart of Change are re quired by the organization in facing the challenges to built in change. Learning knowledge by Lewin According to Van de Ven Sun (2011), learning knowledge describes the ideal learning atmosphere with the organizational goals. It create the environment in which employees continually enlarge their capacity to create the results that they wish, where new and innovative patterns of thinking are support and where employees are continually learning to see the whole reality together. The learning knowledge in the organization depends on the various dimensions such as thinking system, personal mastery, established shared vision and learning team. Conclusion From the study, it has been concluded that change management play an important role in meeting the organizational goals and objectives. Organizations are required to implement new thinking and ideas in acquire the suitable plan of action for the changes in the organization. The study also explains the various theories of change management which can be applied in the organization to bring out the better results and shared the goals and objectives. The several theories of change management enable the organization to describe the changes in the organizational structure through the changing requirements of the business References Baden-Fuller, C. Morgan, M.S., 2010. Business models as models.Long range planning,vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 156-171. Booth, S.A., 2015.Crisis management strategy: Competition and change in modern enterprises. Routledge. Cameron, E. Green, M., 2015.Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Cavalcante, S., Kesting, P. Ulhi, J., 2011. Business model dynamics and innovation:(re) establishing the missing linkages.Management Decision,vol. 49, no. 8, pp. 1327-1342. Chiaroni, D., Chiesa, V. and Frattini, F., 2011. The Open Innovation Journey: How firms dynamically implement the emerging innovation management paradigm.Technovation,vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 34-43. Freeman, R.E., 2010.Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Cambridge university press. Goetsch, D.L. Davis, S.B., 2014.Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Hayes, J., 2014.The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan. Jones, G. Sallis, E., 2013.Knowledge management in education: Enhancing learning education. Routledge. Kuipers, B.S., Higgs, M., Kickert, W., Tummers, L., Grandia, J. Van der Voet, J., 2014. The management of change in public organizations: A literature review.Public Administration,vol. 92, no. 1, pp. 1-20. Langley, A., Smallman, C., Tsoukas, H. Van de Ven, A.H., 2013. Process studies of change in organization and management: Unveiling temporality, activity, and flow.Academy of Management Journal,vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 1-13. Liao, S.H. Wu, C.C., 2010. System perspective of knowledge management, organizational learning, and organizational innovation.Expert systems with Applications,vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 1096-1103. Maon, F., Lindgreen, A. Swaen, V., 2010. Organizational stages and cultural phases: A critical review and a consolidative model of corporate social responsibility development.International Journal of Management Reviews,vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 20-38. Shirey, M.R., 2013. Lewins theory of planned change as a strategic resource.Journal of Nursing Administration,vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 69-72. Smith, W.K. Lewis, M.W., 2011. Toward a theory of paradox: A dynamic equilibrium model of organizing.Academy of management Review,vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 381-403. Van de Ven, A.H. Sun, K., 2011. Breakdowns in implementing models of organization change.The Academy of Management Perspectives,vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 58-74.

Maya Angelous Journey towards Acceptance of Self

Introduction Ever since the publishing of Maya Angelou’s autobiographical novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1969, literary critics never ceased pointing out to the fact that novel’s themes and motifs are being concerned with the process of a main character striving to attain the sense of self-identity. Nevertheless, this did not prevent them from discussing the qualitative essence of this process from a variety of different perspectives.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Maya Angelou’s Journey towards Acceptance of Self specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, in her article Arensberg (1976) refers to the subtleties of how Maya went about attaining existential identity as such that have been in the state of constant transition: â€Å"The unsettled life Angelou writes of in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings suggests a sense of self as perpetually in the process of becoming, o f dying and being reborn, in all its ramifications† (277). In its turn, this implies that Maya’s perception of herself never ceased being the subject of continuous transformation. On the other hand, while suggesting that Maya did succeed with gaining solid sense existential self-awareness, Walker (1995) refers to it as something that came to being as the result of novel main character’s spatially defined intellectual evolvement: â€Å"By the end of the book†¦ she [Maya] no longer feels inferior, knows who she is, and knows that she can respond to racism in ways that preserve her dignity and her life, liberty, and property† (103). In this paper, I will aim to confirm the soundness of namely Walker’s suggestion, while pointing out to the fact that, by the end of Angelou’s novel, Maya did not only become fully self-aware individual, but that such her self-awareness came as the result of novel’s main character having learned how to ac cept her inborn affiliation with the Black race. The discussion of earlier mentioned process in regards to three events, described in the novel As novel’s context implies, throughout the early phases of her life, Maya has been experiencing a number of psychological anxieties, due to the sheer extent of her physical unattractiveness. Moreover, there were clearly defined racial undertones to Maya’s emotional uncomfortableness with who she was: â€Å"Wouldn’t they be surprised when one day I woke out of my black ugly dream, and my real hair, which was long and blond, would take the place of the kinky mass that Momma wouldn’t let me straighten?† (2). And yet, as novel’s plot unraveled, Maya was gradually freeing herself of these anxieties. I believe that the following three events, described in the novel, contributed rather substantially towards helping Maya to learn how to take pride in her blackness. The conversation that took place between Ma ya and uncle Tommy In Chapter 10, Angelou refers to the conversation that took place between Maya and uncle Tommy. While sensing that the young girl lacked self-confidence, uncle Tommy did his best to assure her that good looks is not something that solely defines one’s chances to attain social prominence: â€Å"Ritie, don’t worry ’cause you ain’t pretty.Advertising Looking for research paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Plenty pretty women I seen digging ditches or worse. You smart. I swear to God, I rather you have a good mind than a cute behind† (68). It is needless to mention, of course, that such uncle Tommy’s remark did help Maya to accept who she was. After all, prior to having socialized with uncle Tommy, Maya used to suffer a great deal, on the account of her ugliness. And, as the context of further chapters implies, uncle Tommy’s words did ha ve an effect on Maya, as she was becoming progressively less disturbed with her physical appearance. In the article, from which we have already quoted, Arensberg states: â€Å"Shuttled between temporary homes and transient allegiances, Maya necessarily develops a stoic flexibility that becomes not only her ‘shield,’ but, more importantly, her characteristic means of dealing with the world† (274). Thus, it will not be much of an exaggeration, to suggest that Maya’s socialization with uncle Tommy represents a crucial point in the process of novel’s main character being set on the path of self-actualization through acceptance. Maya’s encounter with Mrs. Flowers In Chapter 15, readers get to meet Mrs. Flowers, whose influence on Maya never ceased being utterly beneficial, it is was namely due to being exposed to the sheer extent of this character’s sophistication that Maya was slowly learning how to take pride in her racial affiliation: â €Å"She [Mrs. Flowers] appealed to me because she was like people I had never met personally. Like women in English novels who walked the moors (whatever they were) with their loyal dogs racing at a respectful distance†¦ It would be safe to say that she made me proud to be Negro, just by being herself† (95). It was specifically after having met Mrs. Flowers that Maya acquired taste for learning, as this intellectually sophisticate Black woman never ceased encouraging Maya to read: â€Å"She said she was going to give me some books and that I not only must read them, I must read them aloud† (98). After having been prompted to indulge in reading by Mrs. Flowers, Maya started to realize that her blackness was not something to be ashamed of. In its turn, this facilitated the process of novel’s main character learning how to accept her racially defined sense of self-identity even further.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Maya Angel ou’s Journey towards Acceptance of Self specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Maya’s exposal to Mrs. Cullinan’s subtle racism Chapter 16, contains description of another event, the exposure to which had increased the strength of Maya’s resolution to accept her racial self-identity – namely, the conversation between Miss Glory and Mrs. Cullinan, during the course of which Mrs. Cullinan refused referring to Maya by her real name Marguerite and instead, suggested that the name Mary suits Maya so much better: â€Å"Well, that may be, but the name’s [Margarete] too long. I’d never bother myself. I’d call her Mary if I was you† (107). And, as it appears from what happened to be Maya’s emotional reaction to Mrs. Cullinan’s suggestion, she thought of it as being utterly insulting: â€Å"I fumed into the kitchen. That horrible woman would never have the chance to call me Mary because if I was starving I’d never work for her† (107). By expressing her contempt with Mrs. Cullinan’s subtly defined racism, sublimated in White woman’s willingness to degrade Blacks linguistically, Maya had once again confirmed the fact that she was firmly set on the path of racial self-acceptance. Apparently, Maya was able to recognize the name Mary as being connotative of ‘whiteness’, which is exactly the reason why she refused to be called by this name – after having accepted her blackness as the integral part of her self-identity, Maya could never bring herself back to trying to be just like Whites. Conclusion I think that the earlier mentioned events do provide readers with the insight on what accounted for the actual subtleties of Maya’s journey towards self-acceptance. Given the fact that Angelou describes this journey as rather linearly defined, it substantiates the validity of paper’s initial thesis †“ while being continuously exposed to a number of life’s challenges, Maya was slowly learning that her self-identity could not be discussed outside of what happened to be the particulars of her racial affiliation. And, it is specifically after novel’s main character had accepted this fact cognitively, that she was able to attain emotional comfortableness with her newly acquired sense of individuality. References Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Bantam Books, 1997 [1969]. Arensberg, Liliane â€Å"Death as Metaphor of Self in I Know Why the Caged Bird  Sings.† CLA Journal 20.2 (1976): 273-91.Advertising Looking for research paper on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Walker, Pierre â€Å"Racial Protest, Identity, Words and Form in Maya Angelou’s I  Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.† College Literature 22.3 (1995): 91-109. This research paper on Maya Angelou’s Journey towards Acceptance of Self was written and submitted by user Ronnie Woodard to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.