Introduction
Joyce Carol Oates and Maya Angelou are two American writers whose works are translated into different languages and known all around the globe. There are different themes addressed in these authors’ works, and female perspectives within the framework of modern reality are one of the major topics. Two stories, Angelou’s “When I Lay My Burden Down” and Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” will be analyzed in this paper concerning their main female characters, Maya and Connie. These characters arguably have similar characteristics, such as age, traumatic experiences, and strained relationships with parents; however, there are differences between them as well, including their self-esteem and attitude towards adults and family values.
Discussion
Maya Angelou’s short story “When I Lay My Burden Down” was published as part of her autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” in 1969. The story is set in Stamps, Arkansas, during a time of severe discrimination and segregation in the South. Angelou tells about her experiences as a young girl whose family has to struggle with disrespect and humiliation. The story is mainly focused on one situation in which a group of young white girls comes to the store where the storyteller’s family works and starts taunting the main character’s grandmother. Seeing that and being unable to interfere, Maya gets extremely upset and angry at the girls. At the same time, she does not understand why her grandmother chooses not to respond to the white girls’ humiliating comments and actions, and this fact frustrates her even more. In the end, however, when she sees her grandmother address the girls respectfully and smile as they leave, she feels relieved, and the girls’ disrespectful behaviors do not seem to bother her as they used to anymore.
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates and first published in 1966. The main character in this work is a 15-year-old Connie, who lives with her parents and an older sister, June. Connie is described as a self-absorbed girl obsessed with her appearance and in constant need of validation. The main focus of the story is on the incident that involves one of the boys Connie had met coming to her house and asking her to go for a ride with him and his friend. As their dialogue progresses, Connie becomes increasingly worried and scared of the boy, who, as she later realizes, “was not a kid” (Oates 4). By the end of the story, he seems to have convinced her to go with him, threatening that her whole family will suffer the consequences if she does not do it.
Several aspects can be defined as similarities between the female characters from these two stories. First, both characters can be considered children at the time of the story’s action, and they both demonstrate a strained relationship with their parents or grandparents. Connie constantly feels her mother’s disapproval, which often makes her miserable. Maya Angelou’s character also appears to have a distant relationship with the older members of her family, as there is not much affection described in the story. Additionally, both female characters experience extreme stress in the course of the plot. While for Connie it is her interaction with Arnold Friend, Angelou’s character has to see white girls taunt her grandmother, whom she respects and admires. Finally, both characters are significantly affected by these traumatic events; while Connie’s fate is ambiguous at the end of the story, it seems that she surrendered to Arnold Friend. Angelou’s character was also affected by her grandmother’s behavior, even though she could not “completely understand” what had happened (Angelou 4). Her grandmother’s calmness and kindness seemed to transform the storyteller.
Many differences can be identified between the female characters from the two stories. First, the girls’ attitudes toward adults and older people are completely different. While Angelou’s character shows deep respect and admiration for her grandmother and other older members of her family, Connie often thinks of her mother as “simple”, sometimes even “wishing her mother was dead” (Oates 1). The second difference is the way the girls view themselves: while Connie highly values the fact that she is “pretty”, Angelou’s character does not even seem to mention anything regarding her appearance (Oates 1). Finally, there is a significant difference in the girls’ attitudes toward family values. While Maya lives according to her family’s traditional beliefs, Connie does not appreciate them as much. For example, she prefers not to go to the barbecue at an aunt’s house, apparently thinking that it is an uninteresting event.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that the female characters from the two stories analyzed in this paper have certain similarities and differences. For example, they both demonstrate tense relationships with their parents or grandparents, and they both have to cope with a traumatic experience. In addition, they are both affected and somehow transformed by these events. However, they have different attitudes towards older family members and family values in general.
Works Cited
Angelou, Maya. I Know why the Caged Bird Sings. Bantam, 1993.
Oates, Joyce C. Where are You Going, where Have You Been?: Selected Early Stories. 1993.