11
Forging Selfhood against the Grain: Identity, Racism, and
Resilience in Maya Angelou’s Gather
Together in My Name
Dr. Rakhpreet Kaur Walia,
Teaching Assistant,
Department of English,
Punjab Agricultural University,
Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
Abstract: The
paper applies feminist theory, especially Black feminist thought and
intersectionality, to analyze Maya Angelou's second autobiography, Gather
Together in My Name (1974). Drawing upon foundational concepts from W.E.B. Du
Bois, such as double consciousness and the veil, this paper further illuminates
Rita's complex journey. The paper examines Rita (Angelou's younger self) in a
tumultuous journey of identity formation, confronting systemic racism, and
resilience living in post-World War II America. The author explores Rita's
identity formation as a young, Black single mother through an intersectionality
lens that includes the oppression of race, gender, and class. The paper argues
that Angelou’s narrative highlights the harsh realities of being Black in
America, while also celebrating how Black women have survived and created their
own identity and agency in sexist and race-based hierarchical systems. Based on
Rita's struggles and small victories (they all matter), the author reflects on
the novel's relevance in capturing the intricacies of Black womanhood and the
resilience of the human spirit. Undoubtedly, Maya Angelou’s memoir is a
conviction that the African-American community can rebel against patriarchal
domination and set themselves free from the clutches of their White oppressors
Keywords:
Maya Angelou, Black Feminist Thought, Identity Formation, Systematic Racism,
Resilience, Intersectionality, African-American Autobiography.
Introduction
Maya Angelou (1928–2014) is
considered one of the leading voices of African-American literature. Her expansive seven-volume autobiographical
series, beginning with I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings (1969), is a significant contribution to Black women’s
narratives. These works chronicle the day-to-day life of Angelou, from her
childhood until her young adulthood, placing her personal journey within the
broader socio-political currents of 20th-century America. Angelou’s oeuvre is
deeply entrenched in Black feminist traditions, where identity, voice, and
resilience are core themes. By seamlessly weaving memoir, poetry, and activism,
Angelou has carved a space for Black women to assert themselves beyond the
margins while advocating for their rights. Her writing captures not only the
rich texture of lived experiences of Black women, but also critiques dominant
narratives surrounding race, gender, and class.
To further enhance this analysis, the paper
incorporates the foundational sociological and philosophical ideas of W.E.B. Du
Bois (1868–1963). As a pioneering scholar and activist, Du Bois introduced
influential concepts in his seminal book, The
Souls of Black Folk (1903), such as "double consciousness" and
"the veil." These concepts provide powerful ways to understand the
psychological and social challenges faced by Black Americans living under
systemic oppression. While Du Bois's idea of "Talented Tenth"
highlighted the role of educated Black leaders in uplifting their communities,
his broader theories on identity and racial separation offer valuable insights
into the lived realities of people like Rita, who must navigate a society
shaped by racial bias and limited opportunities. By blending Du Bois’s theories
with Black feminist thought and the framework of intersectionality, this paper
seeks to offer a deeper, more nuanced view of Rita’s journey toward
self-definition and resilience.
Socio-Cultural Context of the Narrative
Gather Together in My Name (1974) is set in the
immediate aftermath of World War II, a time of supposed progress and prosperity
in America, but for African Americans—Black women specifically—it was a time of
increased racial segregation, economic marginality, and rigid gender roles. As
African Americans left rural communities for jobs in urban places, they were,
no doubt, confronted with new opportunities but at the same time were exposed
to deep-rooted discrimination. Like Angelou, many Black women were unable to
secure stable employment, and subjected to the intersecting oppression of race,
gender, and class. Angelou's description of America in the 1940s paints a
nuanced picture of a society that was still deeply segregated, where systemic
racism was a normative part of society, and opportunities for Black empowerment
were rare. This societal structure can be understood through W.E.B. Du Bois's
metaphor of "the veil," which represents the "visual and
symbolic wall of separation" that defined racial boundaries and created a
pervasive sense of "black 'invisibility'" within American society. Du
Bois famously declared this "color-line" to be "the problem of
the Twentieth Century" (Du Bois 2), a reality that profoundly shaped the
lives of African Americans like Rita in post-war America.
As the second book in her
autobiographical series, Gather Together
in My Name bridges the formative innocence of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings with the emerging complexity of
adulthood in Singin’ and Swingin’ and
Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas (1976).
While the first volume is about trauma and childhood identity, the second book
is all about reflecting moral conflict, the will to survive, and individual
empowerment. The successive autobiographies of Angelou together represent a
nonlinear but compelling trajectory of Black female agency, resilience, and
self-actualization. Placing Gather
Together in My Name in this continuum provides a perspective on
development, resistance, and reflection in Angelou's artistic outlook. The book
follows seventeen-year-old Marguerite Johnson, now formalizing her identity as
Rita, as she attempts to grow up as a single parent while navigating the risky
examination of young adulthood. It is at this time of precarious identity, when
Rita is desperately trying to find stability and self-identity that she will
serve as the crucible for forging her identity and individuality. Angelou's
even-handed prose reveals the often-disparaging circumstances of being a young
Black woman in a seemingly fixated society of race and gender. "The honorary
duty of a human being is to love. and the honorary duty of an artist is to tell
the truth" (Angelou), and Gather
Together in My Name reflects this professional commitment to art by
capturing in raw and honest detail the way a young woman stumbles through life
or learns the lesson of persistence.
The paper analyzes Gather Together in My Name by focusing
on three interconnected themes: identity formation, racism, and resilience. The
narrative is deeply rooted in themes of racism, identity formation, and resilience. In order to illuminate our understanding of
these themes, the paper includes a feminist theoretical lens, particularly
Black feminist theory and the concept of intersectionality. The framework will
allow a more layered understanding of how Rita's intersectional structure of
identity and experience (gender, race, and socio-economic status, first brought
on by World War II America) influenced her trials and successes. The paper
argues that through Rita's life journey, Angelou critiques the social structures
that are oppressive to black women, while at the same time affirming and
showing admiration for their strength, resourcefulness, and innate desire for
self. Rita’s life is filled with neglect and exploitation, yet it is a
trajectory of survival and a slow, painful journey towards self-discovery and
agency.
Feminist Theory: Shedding Light on Black Women's
Experiences
Feminist literary criticism
attempts to explore literature within the framework of gender roles, depicts
women in traditional roles, challenges patriarchal power structures, and
examines women's experiences and subjectivities. Within feminist literary
criticism, Black feminist thought is particularly relevant in identifying the
position of Black women. The concept of "intersectionality" was
developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw, who describes intersectionality as a useful
framework for examining how intersections of race, class, gender, and other
social statuses do not exist as separate categories of difference that lead to
oppression, they create overlapping and interdependent systems of
discrimination or disadvantage (Crenshaw 89). Patricia Hill Collins further
explains that Black feminist thought is focused on the lives, experiences, and
ideas of Black Women and that Black women's experiences can be validated as a
unique standpoint (Collins 22). Black feminist thought actively resists
controlling images and stereotypes of Black women that are often produced by
mass media, mass culture, literature, or stereotypical feminist doctrine to
offer a place for Black women to define themselves and be seen as subjects with
agency.
Seeing Gather Together in My Name through a Black feminist lens allows for
understanding Rita’s struggles in a more nuanced way. To view her struggles as
a woman or as a Black woman would not do justice to her experiences. Rather, it
is the juxtaposition of two systems of oppression that boils down to…!! As bell
hooks notes, "For black women, the experience of sexism is almost always
linked with the experience of racism" (hooks 52), so feminist theory can
help untangle the multiple levels of oppression Rita confronts in her life in a
patriarchal world, as a Black woman in a world shaped by racism, as a poor,
single mother struggling for economic survival. This multi-layered oppression
also gives rise to what W.E.B. Du Bois termed "double consciousness,"
a "peculiar sensation" experienced by Black Americans who are forced
to view themselves through the prejudiced eyes of a dominant white society (Du
Bois 8). This internal conflict, described by Du Bois as "two souls, two
thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body"
(Du Bois 14), adds a profound psychological dimension to Rita's struggles. Her
identity is not merely shaped by external forces but also by an internalized
awareness of how she is perceived by a world that often views her with
"amused contempt and pity" (Du Bois 8). This Du Boisian concept, when
combined with intersectionality, further illuminates how Rita's racial and
gender identity creates a unique internal and external battle for
self-definition. This lens also demonstrates how Angelou’s narratives are a
"talking back" (hooks 5) to reclaim the narrative of Black womanhood
from the jaws of silence and misrepresentation. The use of literary
representations makes it possible to understand Rita as more than the victim of
her circumstances. She may be flawed and desperate, however, she is a
functioning person, purposely negotiating and resisting the oppressive
structures around her. This exemplifies what Collins calls the "ethic of
caring" and the personal responsibility that frequently accompanies Black
women’s strategies when attempting to survive and build community (Collins
135).
Identity Formation:
The Labyrinth of Self
Gather Together in My Name is, ultimately, a story
about the complicated process of developing identity. Seventeen-year-old Rita,
with her baby, Guy, leaves the relative comfort of her mother Vivian's
household in a desperate yearning for independence and self-identity. Rita's
journey of self-identity is accompanied by numerous attempts to define herself
through various roles and relationships with others, all of which usually
generate pain. Angelou writes, "I had no idea what I was going to do, or
what I could do. I only knew that I was a mother, and that I was not a
child."(Angelou 3). This statement of Rita illustrates that she knows what
is expected of her now as a parent, but is very unsure of what her actions or
identity might be.
This uncertainty and the constant negotiation
of her selfhood resonate deeply with Du Bois's concept of double consciousness.
Rita's attempts to inhabit various personas—the capable Creole cook, the
cosmopolitan waitress, the alluring dancer, and, at her most desperate times, a
prostitute and a madam—can be seen as her desperate efforts to reconcile her
internal sense of self with the limited and often demeaning identities imposed
upon her by a prejudiced society. She is constantly "looking at one's self
through the eyes of others" (Du Bois 8) , trying to find a version of
herself that is recognized and safe, yet often finding herself caught in
stereotypes or exploited. Her realization, "I had been meaning to find a
space where I would be recognized. I was recognized by the wrong people"
(Angelou 156), powerfully illustrates the anguish of this double consciousness,
where external perceptions distort and undermine her quest for a "true
self-consciousness" (Du Bois 8). Her quest for identity, evident from a
feminist perspective, is deeply situated within a constructed notion of
femininity and Black womanhood. Rita is aware of constructions and occasionally
attempts to fit into the constructed identity of what women are supposed to be
and, subsequently, finds herself disillusioned. Her momentary, horrible
marriage to the "small, weak, and pale" Tosh (Angelou 45) is an
attempt to achieve normality and reputability, but she gives in on her journey,
demonstrating that they are superficial markers of autonomy. The
self-definition of Black women is pivotal to resisting controlling images,
according to Black feminist scholars. Rita’s progress, despite the detours
involving self-destructive behaviors, moves her closer to this self-definition.
Her mistakes become painful lessons, helping her achieve a more mature
sensibility toward herself and the world. The novel does not provide clear
answers or a fully resolved identity; instead, it conveys identity formation as
messy, ongoing, and deeply personal.
Racism: The Ever-Present Shadow
The unstoppable and
pervasive shadow of racism provides the background of Rita’s life in Gather Together in My Name. The events
are situated post-World War II, before the major achievements of the Civil
Rights Movement, and depict a society where racism is a normalized experience,
limiting opportunities and governing the lives of Black people. Angelou
illustrates how racism is an everyday affair in her life and demands that she
be a passive agent. Rita experiences racism in many ways. While searching for
jobs, she frequently encounters discrimination. Even when she manages to find
employment as a waitress or dancer, she is often confined to segregated venues
or positions considered suitable for Black women. This limited access to
opportunities directly leads to economic vulnerability and hardship caused by
systemic racism. As a result of these constraints, she finds herself in
increasingly dire circumstances, including her short but intense involvement in
sex work. Traveling through various cities like San Francisco and Stamps,
Arkansas, before returning to California, the impact of racism looms over her
decisions about where she can live, work, and socialize.
This pervasive racial barrier is precisely
what W.E.B. Du Bois termed "the veil," a concept that describes the
literal and figurative separation between Black and white worlds. Rita's
experiences of job discrimination, confinement to segregated venues, and
economic vulnerability are direct manifestations of living "shut out from
their world by a vast veil" (Du Bois 15). The veil not only limits her
external opportunities but also shapes her internal perception, forcing her to
see herself through the distorted lens of a prejudiced society. Feminist
analysis, even more particularly one shaped by intersectionality, demonstrates
how racism compounds the challenges and difficulties faced by Rita as a woman.
The stereotype of the “Jezebel,” the hypersexual Black woman, for instance,
makes Black women especially prone to sexual exploitation, which is a danger
Rita barely escapes on several occasions. Her dealings with law enforcement
also show her precarious situation; as a Black woman, she is vulnerable and is
seen with suspicion and as a threat. Angelou masterfully illustrates what
Kimberle Crenshaw would term ‘Intersectionality’.
Rita’s peril is not simply the sum of her race plus her gender plus her
poverty; it is the compounded multiplication of these co-occurring identities. Her forthright declaration upon
arrest, "I was a Negro woman, alone, and without a dime. I was in
trouble" (Angelou 198), is a poignant demonstration of the concept. It is the inseparable aspect of her being a
one single Black, poor woman which yields a unique vulnerability that legal and
social systems are constructed to ignore and capitalize on. The novel thus
serves as a powerful indictment of a society that commonly devalues and risks
the lives of Black women, who find themselves in cornered situations where
survival will, invariably, mean letting go of ideals or safety. This
intersectional vulnerability is amplified by the constant presence of the veil,
which renders Black women like Rita both hyper-visible through stereotypes and
simultaneously invisible in their full humanity within the dominant
narrative.
Resilience: The Unyielding Spirit
Although poverty, racism,
and various betrayals have assailed Rita’s life, the most consistent theme
throughout Gather Together in My Name
is Rita’s indomitable resilience. Resilience here should not just mean to
bounce back, but to endure, adapt, and keep working hard while facing the
challenges and predicaments that come along. Rita's life and journey are
evidence of the triumph of the human spirit, especially the strength found in
Black womanhood. Rita's resilience is expressed in her unwavering attempts to
create a self-sufficient life for herself and her son, Guy. Her resilience is
more than just fortitude--it is an ethic of survival that bell hooks refers to
as ‘talking back’ and a constant refusal to be silenced or disappeared, and
such resilience has its roots in her child's world and her role as a mother,
reflects Collins's notion of the ‘ethic of caring’ that informed many of the
survival strategies of Black women. Even in moments of unwise decisions and
disgusting circumstances, she remains committed to Guy as she reflects,
"My son was an anchor, a reality. I had to be strong for him"
(Angelou 78). This notion of maternal responsibility, often explored in Black
women’s literature, is not viewed here as a weight, but instead as her strength
and determination. She demonstrates her resilience by being resourceful and
learning, albeit slowly, from her mistakes. After all of the disappointment in
failed relationships, lost jobs, and exploitative dynamics, Rita always picks
herself up and gives it another go. She wanders city to city, job to job,
tirelessly looking for something, a place that recognizes her potential and
capability. Although Rita was compromising her morality as a woman, her brief
engagement in running a brothel is presented as a last resort for her autonomy
and control over her life, an ill-advised notion of agency. When that approach
inevitably fails and leaves her more vulnerable than before, she does not
completely descend into hopelessness. She finds a way back through legitimate,
still challenging, paths. As noted by Joanne M. Braxton in Black Women Writing Autobiography: A Tradition Within a Tradition,
Angelou’s work often stresses
"the adaptive and creative strategies that black women have
historically employed to survive and to surmount the obstacles placed in their
paths"(Braxton 15). Rita's resilience, from a feminist perspective,
inhabits a space that does not seek to reopen historic narratives of passive
victimhood. Although she is victimized by people and bigger systems, she is not
just a victim; she makes decisions, she exercises agency (albeit limited), and
she works toward survival and dignity. This resilience is neither passive nor
silent, and is not defined only by being stoic. Resilience, in Rita's case, is
a process of struggle, change, and learning. The novel ends with a firm
determination as Rita, having experienced yet another disappointment, prepares
to continue her journey, and it is open-ended. Resilience is an ongoing
practice, a way one attempts to move through a world that isn't kind, and yet,
is not entirely unyielding. For Rita, being able to gather herself again and
again, in her name, is her ultimate test of life and spirit. This resilience
can be understood as Rita's continuous striving to overcome the psychological
and social burdens imposed by "the veil" and "double
consciousness." Despite being constantly "shut out from their world
by a vast veil" (Du Bois 15) and forced to contend with a fragmented sense
of self, Rita persistently seeks to define her own identity and agency. Her
journey is a testament to the human spirit's capacity to resist the
dehumanizing effects of systemic racism and to forge a unified self, even when
confronted with a world that denies her "true self-consciousness" (Du
Bois 8). Her ability to "gather herself again and again, in her
name," embodies a profound act of self-affirmation against the very forces
Du Bois described.
Conclusion
The novel is an engaging
and honest memoir about a young Black woman's quest for identity in the context
of a problematic American society. Through the lens of feminist theory,
particularly Black feminist thought and intersectionality, Maya Angelou's
memoir illustrates the intricacies of identity construction, systemic racism,
and deep resilience that mark Rita's experience. The novel carefully
illustrates how, in many ways, racism, sexism, and poverty intercross to shape
Rita's experiences, subjecting her to exploitation and predicaments of life.
Yet, it is not a story of despair, rather, it is a story of struggle, survival,
yearning for love, compassion, resilience, equality, and much more. It is a
story of Rita’s unyielding quest for identity, her confrontation of the
unvarnished realities of racism, and her undeterred resilience and
perseverance. Gather Together in My Name
is an important contribution to American literature as it places a Black female
voice and experience at the center and exhibits the strength, agency, and
resilience necessary to exist in a world that seeks to diminish and silence it.
By applying W.E.B. Du Bois's concepts of "double consciousness" and
"the veil," this analysis gains further depth, revealing the profound
psychological and social dimensions of Rita's struggle against external
prejudice and internal fragmentation. Angelou’s work reminds us of the
imperative that exists to tell one’s own story, the need to gather the pieces
of experience, and make an identity in one’s name, regardless of the obstacles,
ultimately striving for a unified self beyond the confines of the veil.
Works Cited
Angelou, Maya. Gather Together in My Name. Random
House, 1974.
Braxton, Joanne M. Black Women Writing Autobiography: A
Tradition within a Tradition. Temple UP, 1989.
Collins, Patricia Hill. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge,
Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2000.
Crenshaw, Kimberlé.
“Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of
Anti-discrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics.” University of Chicago Legal Forum, vol.
1989, no. 1, article 8, 1989, pp. 139–67.
Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. A.C. McClurg
& Co., 1903.
Du Bois, W.E.B. "The
Talented Tenth." Library Collections,
University of Minnesota Law Library, librarycollections.law.umn.edu/documents/darrow/Talented_Tenth.pdf.
hooks, bell. Ain’t I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism.
South End Press, 1981.
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Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking
Black. South End Press, 1989.