Politics of Agency in Maya Angelou‟s The Heart of a Woman: An Autobiography

Abstract

This research aims to illustrate the politics of agency in Maya Angelou’s The Heart of a Woman. Maya Angelou’s autobiography explores how an African-American woman claims her agency amidst the white dominated American society. Maya Angelou faces discrimination in terms of class, culture, ethnicity and prejudice. Despite the discrimination, in terms of race, gender, class and cultural prejudices, Angelou asserts her voice against all sort of mistreatment towards her. This research is done under the theoretical light of Garnett’s idea of “Agency and Inner Freedom”, Gramsci’s concept of “The Formation of Intellectual” and Kathryn Abram’s notion of self-definition and self-direction. Angelou in her autobiography shows the pathetic condition of African American women in American society. She gives agency to present the sufferings of the African Americans in America especially black women who are trapped in the social and cultural barriers by white Americans. She has also challenged white’s illiterate behavior and injustice in white dominated society is her politics of agency. It also studies the way they became successful to change themselves from victims of racism into self-dignified women capable of responding to injustice and exploitation. Maya Angelou uses writing as a vehicle to express African- American’s voice against the prejudice of whites in America. Key words: Autobiography, Agency, Inner freedom, Prejudice, self-direction, self- definition, intellectual.