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