I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Psychoanalytic Context - Essay Example

?I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (1969) by Maya Angelou in the Psychoanalytic Context of Erik Erikson’s Stages of Development I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (1969) penned by Maya Angelou is a feminist autobiography whose main themes are freedom, oppression, the coming-of-age, the African-American woman, racism, displacement, motherhood, family and self-esteem. Written contemporaneously with the Civil Rights Movement, this bildungsroman novel elucidates on the life and struggles of a young, African-American girl on a life journey from the ages of 3 to 16. Influenced strongly by Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “Sympathy” (1899), and her own poem titled, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” (1969), Maya Angelou manages to retell her own story, using the caged bird as a metaphor for a victim of oppression. Common subjects that knit the poem to the novel are oppression and freedom, ugly realities and beauty. Maya undergoes psychological stages of development which synchronizes with Erik Erikson’s model. The developmental theories concur in explaining mental, physical, sexual, social, and moral development of the human being. Erik Erikson is one of the psychological fathers of developmental theories. Erikson focused on psychosocial development and was a disciple of Sigmund Freud. He traces the personality growth of the child as he interacts with his physical and social environment and the child’s maturing awareness through eight stages of development. Each stage of development is critical to maturity and retains a dynamic impact on the life of the adult. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (1969) is an acclaimed novel written by Maya Angelou and represents a bildungsroman novel in which the protagonist undergoes a life journey from childhood to adulthood. Originated in a place called Stamps, Maya starts off life as a poor African-American girl growing up in a broken home with little regard for herself. In the novel she faces disillusionment, overt and hidden racism, abuse and rape. Through it all, she retains self-determination and learns to heal from the wounds of the past. She succeeds at many endeavors however, becomes pregnant at the end of the book, birthing her first son Guy. Following Erik Erikson’s stages of development theory, the protagonist Maya enters the world as a plain, poor, uneducated African-American girl who experiences incest at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend. Erikson pinpoints eight major levels of psychosocial development a) basic trust versus mistrust b) autonomy versus shame and doubt c) initiative versus guilt d) industry versus inferiority e) identity achievement versus role confusion f) intimacy versus isolation, g) generativity versus stagnation, h) ego integrity versus despair. Throughout these stages Maya feels herself bound by the chains of racial oppression, female subjugation, socio-economic hardship, inferiority complex, low self-esteem, loneliness and fear.   Basic trust versus mistrust Maya develops from basic, child-like trust into a mature mistrust. She transitions through this stages because she encounters harsh realities involving the betrayal of trust. As a child she initially trusts the adults and family in her life such as Momma Henderson, Bailey Johnson Jr, Mr. McElroy, Daddy Clidell and Uncle Willie; however, she experiences a series of betrayals: rape at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend, absence of her father (Bailey Sr.), the separation of her family, periodic let-downs by her brother Bailey Jr. (her closest friend) and the persecution of the children who continually tease her. Her mistrust of the world leads her to become distrustful until she locks up herself in a mute and isolated world. Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt Autonomy vs. shame and doubt is another developmental phase in Maya’s life. Owing to her itinerant lifestyle and broken home, Maya acquire a unique level of autonomy. She knows firsthand life alone and homeless and hardship spurs her to learn to depend on herself. Maya relishes her newfound freedom as “she realizes she cannot go back that she is so much wiser and more independent than her classmates” (Bloom 49). At the same time, this autonomy comes with a price tag. She grows up quickly and by the end of the in the book, she is in shame and doubt because of a number of issues: her plainness and undesirability as a girl and woman, her blackness, identity issues and her teenaged pregnancy. Initiative versus Guilt In the novel, Maya early life burns with initiative. She excels at school and is determined to make something of herself. Personal initiative can be seen from her teaching herself to drive her father’s car and also being hired at a segregated streetcar company. Maya was a ‘first-black’ since she “broke the street car company’s color line” (Bloom 76). Her initiative pushes her to get worldly wisdom as well – a knowledge that could not be obtained in the classroom. Nevertheless in spite of her initiative Maya undergoes a challenge which makes her “consumed by guilt” (Bloom 50), i.e., her pregnancy which resulted from a moment of weakness. Industry versus Inferiority Another dark reality about Maya’s life is her inferiority complex. One discovers that throughout the novel “her embarrassment over her body will remain a key issue as well” (Bloom 19). Throughout the novel, the reader notices how self-conscious and image-absorbed Maya is. “Angelou as a young child and adult sees herself as ugly” (Bloom 71). Her looks are an aspect of which she is ashamed. She cannot change it and others do not accept and love her in the same way that they would others. Also, her blackness is not a source of pride but despair. At a predominantly white school, she feels neglected among her peers and even teachers. In the midst of her inferiority, Maya learns industry. She is a diligent student and an ambitious young woman. She seizes opportunity to literally reach for the sky and achieve impossibilities. She develops the audacity to accomplish feats and use the power of reasoning. Identity Achievement versus Role Confusion In the novel, although still oppressed, Maya finds her voice and grows assertive and confident in her identity. The systems of oppression raped her physically and socially, even taking away her voice. It took a long and trying process, but Maya “does develop a powerful self-image; she comes to the realization that she can control her life” (Bloom 13). But by the end of the novel, Maya acquires a measure of self-actualization because she knows that despite her color, looks, gender and background, she can wield the power of her intelligent mind and her strong will and voice in claiming freedom. On the other hand, toward the end of the book she becomes confused in her identity in terms of sexual orientation “and jumps to the conclusion that she may be a lesbian” (Bloom 49). Her suspicion that she is lesbian springs from the internalization of wrong messages about her body and comparison of herself with society’s image and expectations of a woman. Intimacy versus Isolation Maya moves from intimacy to isolation in her autobiographic novel. At first, she delights in the intimate relationship with her brother. As siblings they are so close that they are “inseparable in their early years” (Bloom 48). Unfortunately, her brother Bailey Jr. decides to strike out on his own path and weakens once knit relationship. He was the only person with whom she was close. As the book progresses, one learns that Maya’s experience descends into one “like that of any orphan, that quest is intensely lonely, intensely solitary” (Angelou 52). She feels constantly rejected by those around her and realizes in some parts of her journey, she has to go it alone. Her parents come in and out of her life and she has few true friends. One sees that Maya wants to be free from the bondage of her haunting loneliness and wants her desire to be loved to be fulfilled. Generativity versus Stagnation Maya lives a productive life in the novel. She achieves success by transcending various barriers. Maya possess a unique “drive to achieve order out of chaos” (Bloom 49) and works hard to be “a top student (that) will receive special note” at a graduation ceremony (Bloom 40). On the other hand, for some reason her life seems hindered from achieving progress. She is continually debarred from employment and for a while it seems like her life is stagnated. Ego Integrity versus Despair Erikson’s stage of ego-integrity and despair is a stage to which Maya attains in her personal development. At this level the individual is confronted with death or acquires a new awareness of mortality. In the novel, death becomes real to Maya on two occasions. When Maya attends her first funeral, Mrs. Taylors, and as she sees the corpse in the casket, it is impressed upon her mind man’s mortality. This awakening causes her to “come to the grown-up realization that death will even come to her” (Angelou 40). Again, when Mr. Freeman, her rapist is beaten to death, Maya is forced to think of mortal themes. This shock precipitates guilt, despair and silence since she believes that she is “responsible for his death” (Angelou 33). The consequence of this realization plunges her into deep despair to the extent that she becomes mute and carries a gloom around her. In sum, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is a novel which confirms Erik Erikson’s psychosocial developmental theory in which the protagonist, Maya passes through phases which mold and shape her to maturity. One enjoys the novel that takes the reader into the inner world of Maya Angelou for “Maya’s autobiographical tone is one of profound intimacy” (Bloom 7) Maya depicts openly her baptism of fire as she develops from childhood to adolescence: the conflict, the hurt, the rejection and the desire for love all play a part in her life drama. The novel ends on a hopeful note with the birth of Maya’s son and the support of her mother as she enters motherhood. Works Cited: Bloom, H. M. Angelou. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Little Brown Book Group, 2010. Angelou, M. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Chelsea House Publishers, Pennsylvania, 2004. Greene, R. N. Kropf. Human Behavior Theory: A Diversity Framework, Transaction Publishers, 2009. Walker, A. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Mariner Books, Harcourt Inc., Florida, 2006. Read More