Double Consciousness in Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Abstract

The present thesisreflects the multiple oppressions of black women in America in Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings using the concept of 'Double Consciousness' developed by DuBois, Frantz Fanon and Bernard Bell. It depicts the relationships between black and white people through the experiences of a black girl in Southern America. The black woman protagonist of the novel, Maya faces discrimination, sexual abuse and segregation as race, gender and class issues were the general brands of black women’s oppression. The white woman changes her name from Marguerite to Mary also she is also raped by the white man frequently. The researcher takes the idea of 'Double Consciousness' and shows how the protagonist rejects the domination and exploitation of all kinds. The protagonist Maya survives by shaping her own future despite the hardships.