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Angelou ends I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings with the birth of her son, Guy. The caged bird at the end is comical and triumphant. When asked why she characterized the caged bird as triumphant, Maya replied with the obvious response, "I have won in my strife against racisim and am now seen as the truely beautiful woman I am"(Ryan 14). .
Many of Angelou's writings helped her earn self-acceptance. It is easy for her to .
turn something that is going bad for the good. "Dolly McPherson credits Angelou's .
originality to a "preoccupation with the effects of the community on the individuals .
achievement and retention of an integrated, acceptable self""(King 15). .
Angelou's showing of self-acceptance for herself has persuaded others to do the same. Many of Angelou's works showed how brave and courageous she is. "Her depiction of her own life experiences sends out a universal message that reaches all who are destined to travel a difficult road"(King 25). She has helped African-Americans accept themselves for whom they are and not for what everyone else thinks about them. .
In much of Maya Angelou's writing she emphasizes themes of courage, self- .
acceptance, and realization of the experiences of one's life. Maya Angelou is an inspiring woman, being a writer, poet, playwright, editor, performer, singer, film-maker, dancer, television personality, and educator . She was awarded a Yale University fellowship and appointed writer in residence at the University of Kansas . .
"Angelou has received many awards and honorary degrees, including Grammy Awards (1994 and 1996) for her recordings of her poetry on the albums On the Pulse of Morning (1993) and Phenomenal Woman (1995)"(Schick 27) . .
Angelou plans to continue to have an impact on people's lives in the future. She has traveled around the world, and can speak several languages. She was the first black woman to write the screen play for a motion picture, and the first to direct one.