Portfolio #Entry 20 - " A Feminist is a man or a woman who ..."

 Why is Angelou's poetry/literary production considered "feminist"?

 Maya is one of the female writers who include feminism´s ideals in her works. Maya expresses about women during racial discrimination, segregation, male domination, among others. Through her poetry, she intends to send a message to her readers: Although our physical appearance is not perfect, everybody should value and love themselves. That is, to end with the bad conception that beauty means owning a slim body, thin lips, and small hips.

Analysis 

 Maya Angelou is one of the women writers who include feminist ideals in her works.  Phenomenal woman presents the ability of a woman to be extraordinary, and remarkable among others. It talks about a woman who is so proud to be a woman, who is confident and has faith in herself. She also believes in her inner strength that makes her able to achieve success in her life as a man could be.

This poem represents the evidence of capability or power of a woman over anything which is directly denying the stereotypes of gender that people have on women. It proves that women are not like what has been claimed by post-structuralist feminists who inspired by psychoanalysis idea that the position of woman is founded on the notion of lack. Thus, it is believed that they are not eligible for the independent as men could be. Although they are founded on the notion of lack, which is referring to the lack of “the male equipment”, women are actually able to have a place in society and have the rights as men could have. That perception is not true seems this poem has proved that a woman in this poem presented as someone who could work and survive for her life by the strength she has.

     The poet also tells the readers by denying the fact that women could be success only just by using their beauty they have as it only lies much beyond the outer appearance and does not have much power to change the life except by our own will. The most important thing is the effort of the women themselves toward achieving victory in their life. A woman in this poem can tackle the attention of the men even she does not have that much beauty of a woman supposedly has. What makes those men fancy her is the phenomenal appearance that she has which leads her to be successful in her life. While other women also interested to know the secret of her success which actually lies in her confident and the towering personality she has. This shows how a woman can be dominant and influential to everybody either to men and other women too when men are fancy her while the women envy her.