Summary:
In this modern American classic a young girl by the name of Maya tell us how she, along with her brother Bailey, were sent to Stamps, Arkansas, when she was three and her brother four. Their parents had gotten divorced, and their father sent them to live with his mother, whom they later on call Momma. Momma takes them in to live with her and her disabled son Willie (Maya and Bailey's uncle). Momma not only owns a store in the black section of the town, but also is one of the most respected residents. She serves as a great example for her grandchildren when it comes to dealing with racism and respect. Momma insist that Maya and Bailey follow rules and respect their elders. One day, while in the store, Maya witnesses her grandmother being mocked by three poor white children who enter the store. While Maya is crying historical, because of her anger, Momma is calm; she ignores the children. That is because, she strongly believes that it is not safe for black people to talk to white people, especially in an offensive manner. Maya said that Momma would have called herself the realist instead of the coward. This means that Momma finds it pointless and useless to mouth off to a white person, as many others did. She felt that its best to ignore them, than sink to their level.
Furthermore, Maya is a very insecure young girl. She constantly reiterates how she would hear that she's ugly because of her hair, dark skin and size. She had kinky hair, dark skin, and she was too big for her age. This led her to replacing the meaning of beauty with being white. She feels as though her resolution is to be a white girl. On the other hand, her brother Bailey is very handsome; when others bother him about his sister's appearance, he insults them about their looks. Maya sees her brother as the most important person in her world. By the end of this section Bailey and Maya meet both their father and mother. Both of them are like strangers to Maya,but Bailey gets along with their father, and is in love with their mothers looks. He realizes that they really look alike and are alike in personalities. However, after meeting them, Maya still sees them as strangers.
Quote:
"People spoke of Momma as a good-looking woman and some, who remembered her youth, said she used to be right pretty. I saw only her power and strength" (Angelou 46).
Reaction:
I found this to be a powerful quote, because it reinforced the thought that i had while reading about Momma. I felt that Momma was, in fact, powerful, based upon the fact that she took in two young children who were facing racism, guilt, and in Maya's case low self-esteem. She was giving her grandchildren a home that embedded moral discipline, respect, and rules to surviving racism. In my opinion, that is hard! For Maya to say that her grandmother is powerful, is like a hint to the reader, or in my case, an affirmation.
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