Critical Essay議論文范例

1、Critical Essay #3: The Coming-of-Age Theme (outlineGrowing up is an important stage in our life as it brings us not only happiness but also sorrow, just like a penny with its two sides.In paragraph 27, 28 and 32 of Maya Angelous classic autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, we can feel th

2、e pain and difficulty of Maya and Baileys coming -of-age straightaway.In chapter 27,28 and 32, Angelou, relying on both literal and figurative imagery, brings out the coming-of-age theme as she portrays Maya taking major steps in her process of growth and change regarding the sub-themes of displacem

3、ent, the inter-related strengths of her self-confidence and self-esteem, and also independence.Firstly ，Angelou mentioned after her coming of age, there was no longer only the emotion of displacement, there was feeling of fitting in. In chapter 27, paragraph 8 Angelou mentioned that “Then the city a

4、cted in wartime like an intelligent woman under siege . She gave what she couldnt with safety withhold, and secured those things which lay in her reachFriendly but never gushing, cool but not frigid or distant, distinguished without the awful stiffness ”. (Citation: paragraph 8. As Angelou mentioned

5、, the city she lived is a wise woman who takes and gives properly and she became the ideal of she wanted to be as a grown up. This image is a personification therefore the wise woman is San Francisco, the city. She personified the city and her idol wasnt anyone but the city, directly showed her sens

6、e of belonging in this city. Its a sign of growing up in this city. Also, the characteristic she wanted to have in this example, implying her mother, Vivian, which shows she is mature enough to have her own life-goal.In chapter 27, Paragraph 8, Angelou mentioned that “The air of collective displacem

7、ent, the impermanence of life in wartime and the gauche personalities of the more recent arrivals tended to dissipate my own sense of not belonging. This image is a metaphor therefore the air is the collective displacement of the blacks cominginto San Francisco. As Angelou mentioned, while every bla

8、ck people immigrating to SF had the same displacement like she did and they are not as perfect as those white people, she no longer felt the displacement. That shows she was fitting in the people around her now, and this is another evidence of growing up. In chapter 27, paragraph 8, Angelou mentione

9、d that ”In San Francisco, for the first time, I perceived myself as part of something”.This is another clear literal image, it directly conveys the feeling of fitting in, as another evidence of the coming of age.As Angelou mentioned in these examples, she showed her feel of belonging in SF.Secondly,

10、 as most of the people do, while Maya grown up, she had much more self-confidence and self-esteem than she did before. During the month Angelou spent in the yard, she did a lot of things she had never done before such as dancing, she mentioned that: “On Saturday night we entered the jitterbug c onte

11、st at the Silver Slipper, whether we could dance or not” This is a literal image that shows Angelou is no longer the shy girl before. This image conveys the sub-theme that Angelou is now getting self-confidence and it contrasts the image in the prologue that she even cannot give a prepared speech in

12、 front of the church. In chapter 28, paragraph 5 in section 2, Maya mentioned that “My shyness at moving clad in black tights around a large empty room did not last long.” In this literal image, Maya brings o ut her self-confidence that she is no longer feeling inferior for her bad body-shape. Also,

13、 This image contrasts with the prologue “A cruel fairy stepmother had turned me into a too-big Negro girl, with nappy black hair, broad feet and a space between her teeth that would hold a number-two pencil”. Last but not least, in paragraph 2 of section 2 in chapter 28, Angelou mentioned that “When

14、 Bailey and I read poems together, he sounded like a fierce Basil Rathbone and I like a maddened Bette Davis.” This is a simile and it shows how Maya devote herself to the poem reading and it shows the self-confidence Maya has after her coming-of-age.These examples apparently showed the coming-of-ag

15、e gave Angelou confidence to do the things she neverdid before.Last but not least, Angelou experienced the independence life in SF as every grown-up do. Angelou described her junkyard story in paragraph 32 as “My car was an island and the junkyard a sea” This is a T1 metaphor and a hyperbole therefo

16、re the island is the car and the junkyard is exaggerated as a sea. This is the first time Maya live independently and the island implies that she is out of home and along in the sea of other people. This image brings of the sub-theme of independence and shows the result of growing up. There is anoth

17、er description of the life in the junkyard in chapter 32, Angelou described it as ”The idea of sleeping in the near open bolstered my sense of freedom. I was a loose kite in a gentle wind floating with only my will for an anchor.” This image is a T1&T4 metaphor therefore the loose kite is Maya a

18、nd the anchor is a safe place for her to settle down. Dare to sleep in a near open is a great evidence of independence and she has her own ability to look for a place to settle down brings out the theme of the coming-of-age. Furthermore, in chapter32, after she heard from Vivian, Angelou said that “It would be easier if she (Vivian simply sent my fare to the airline, then Id pick it up. Angelous words after her maturity showed that she has ability to come up with her own solution and in this c