Celebrating the Spirit of a 'Caged Bird'. A Qualitative Study of Maya Angelou's Autobiographies

      Аннотация: The African American tradition of writing about self began with the slave narratives; it came a long way to writing an autobiography which revitalized their selves and their Black identity. Maya Angelou, a descendant daughter of the African American race; in her autobiographical oeuvre embodies all the women who have collectively endured the immeasurable pain, but they have survived with great vigour and an invincible survival instinct. This study identifies that; they have inherited a quality to persevere to survive against all the odds. The universal elements of motherhood, sisterhood, humour, and food; emerging from this race's ancestral inheritance find its omnipresence in humankind despite of the divide of race, nation, class, caste, and gender. This study charts the journey commencing from the enslavement and pain inflicted on the African American race, as Maya Angelou celebrates the spirit of a metaphorical 'caged bird' and renders the readers with the hope and elevation of humanity.

Ключевые слова: Maya Angelou, autobiography, African American women, African American Literature