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Graduation By Maya Angelou Summary

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In Maya Angelou’s story you may think a simple graduation, but to the narrator and her community, it means so much more than that. This graduation shows two different sides of the black race that was correct for this time period it was written in. This graduation teaches Marguerite the importance of not letting someone crush your dreams because of their own flawed thoughts and ideas. Keep pressing forward in all that is right and never give up hope.
For Marguerite and the community, this graduation was a great deal and accomplishment for their community and blacks as a race. The graduation is important because education was very precious to blacks at the time because they had been denied the right to learn in slavery times, and now that they were free they wanted the rights as a human being to be free and do as they wanted. They knew that with an education they could break down walls that were built against …show more content…

Donleavy finally leaves, Marguerite is shaken up a bit by his speech and is questioning everything. The only thing that changes her outlook is the Negro Anthem that seems to get everyone back in the mood and spirits flying high again. At first, she hated Henry Reed For getting up and even continuing his speech after what Donleavy had said, but once Henry started singing her attitude changed about everything and she was back to herself again. She saw that her race was as weak as she thought they were. She came to the understanding she could survive anything ad that she and her race could be on top with only the change of perspective. In conclusion, Maya Angelou wittingly pieced together a theme that perfectly serves as a representation of what blacks experience during this very controversial racial time. The way the narrator expresses her emotions before, during, and towards the end of the graduation work together beautifully to elaborate on the purpose of the story. Never let anything or anyone bring you down, and never give up what you believe

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