Exploring the Elements of Segregation: An Analysis of Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings


The Criterion

The Criterion: An International Journal in English
Volume 17, Issue 2 · April 2026 · ISSN 0976-8165

Open Access
CC BY 4.0
Crossref DOI


Exploring the Elements of Segregation: An Analysis of Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings


Dr. Vrinda ShandilORCID

World Literature
Pages 71–80
Article #05
2026V17N2015

DOI

Digital Object Identifier

10.66376/criterion.v17.n2.5

Registered with Crossref · Open Access · CC BY 4.0

Abstract

This paper examines carefully and painstakingly how Black women strives hard for survival in the patriarchal world and withers in the adverse conditions posed to them as a result of anatomy, biological determinism and sexuality in Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Black women’s spiritual, emotional, and intellectual prowess as well as the continent’s sense of beauty, strength, and dignity are exalted by Angelou. She discusses the treatment of Black women, their battle for justice, and their daily struggles. She reinvents the Black woman’s image throughout her autobiographies, positioning herself as a role model for African American women. She also uses these several roles, incarnations and identities to link her personal past to the systemic oppression she has experienced.

Keywords
Female SubjugationSegregationIdentityGender Discrimination

Cite This Article — MLA 9th Edition

Dr. Vrinda Shandil. “Exploring the Elements of Segregation: An Analysis of Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 2, Apr. 2026, pp. 71–80. DOI, https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n2.5.

Article History
Received
2/19/2026/2026
Accepted
13 Apr 2026
Published Online
30 Apr 2026

Journal
The Criterion: An International Journal in English
Volume / Issue
Vol. 17, No. 2 (April 2026)
Pages
71–80
Article ID
2026V17N2015
ISSN
0976-8165

Open Access
CC BY 4.0
Crossref DOI

Open Access · CC BY 4.0 · Crossref DOI ·
the-criterion.com

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