Divulgence of racial apartheid and segregation in Subalterns: An overview of Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Abstract

In her renowned autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou provides a detailed account of the hardships faced by racial subalterns. Born during the Jim Crow Laws Era, Maya experienced profound racial segregation in Stamps, Arkansas, leading to animosity between Americans and subalterns (Blacks). As a subaltern and African American, Maya encountered oppressive patriarchal dominance, with limited opportunities for females in a male-dominated society. Subaltern women, constrained by societal norms, found their dreams curtailed and suffered from the dominance of their counterparts. The marginalized status of African Americans in society serves as a thematic backdrop. Despite these challenges, Maya shattered the glass ceiling and emerged as the voice for racial subalterns in her community, achieving the historic feat of becoming the first subaltern woman to serve as the conductor of a cable car.