Maya Angelou’s Multifaceted Themes: Exploring Identity, Resistance, and Beauty in African-American Literature

Maya Angelou’s Multifaceted Themes: Exploring Identity, Resistance, and Beauty in African-American Literature

Authors- Eirini Eleftheriou, Katerina T. Frantzi

Abstract-This study undertakes a thorough examination of the diverse themes permeating Maya Angelou’s literary works, delving into the realms of racism, feminism, self-actualization, and the portrayal of Black identity. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines thematic analysis and an extensive literature review to unravel the intricate layers of meaning within Angelou’s texts. The aim is to contribute nuanced insights to the existing body of knowledge by identifying recurring patterns and shedding light on the significance of these themes in the broader socio-cultural context. Through thematic analysis, the study systematically uncovers the multifaceted narratives present in Angelou’s poems and autobiographical narratives. Additionally, sentiment analysis of specific words, notably “woman” and “mother,” has been incorporated into the research methodology. Using the R Programming Language, sentiment analysis offers a nuanced understanding of the emotional nuances associated with these crucial terms within Angelou’s works. The literature review draws from the scholarship of Suhadi (2016), Jingal & Bangu (2017), Du (2014), Guha (2015), Palupi (2014), and Sunday & Ekpo (2018), providing theoretical insights and contextualizing Angelou’s themes within the existing academic discourse. By intertwining quantitative and qualitative analyses, this study not only enriches our understanding of Maya Angelou’s thematic expressions but also unveils the emotional resonance embedded in her choice of words. Through sentiment analysis, the study offers a unique perspective on the emotional dimensions associated with the terms “woman” and “mother” in Angelou’s literary corpus.

DOI: /10.61463/ijset.vol.12.issue4.235