The Best American Essays of the Century

I know why the caged bird sings

Racism present in the time of Maya Angelou's life (andrelevy.net)

 Prejudice and Segregation are the two factors that shaped one child’s life. When Maya Angelou moved to Arkansas to live with her grandmother she witnessed the harsh reality of racial discrimination. Maya did not look, dress, or talk like the other kids; she was very unique and stood out from them. In an excerpt from “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” Maya Angelou reveals memories from her childhood that have shaped her into the woman she is today. The purpose of this excerpt is to reveal to the racism and segregation in America that was witnessed by Maya Angelou as a child. She uses imagery to point out her differences from the other kids. She says “beauty had turned me into a big black Negro girl, with nappy black hair, broad feet, and a space between her teeth” (Angelou, 343).  Her racial differences build the story and reveal to the audience why she was faced with discrimination. The story is written to anyone who experienced prejudice, or anyone who would want to hear about this racial injustice. Maya Angelou uses pathos to sway the reader into feeling the emotion that she felt. Angelou shares her anger towards the white people in her town that treated her grandmother harshly. Her grandmother owns a store in Stamps, Arkansas, which is the center of life in the Negro community. One evening three white children come in and mock the store. Outraged by their foolish actions, Maya shares how humiliated she felt by them and how ruthless they were. She uses pathos to convey her anger towards these girls “I burst. A fire cracker July the fourth. How could Momma call them Miz? The mean nasty things.” (Angelou, 356). Her feelings of discrimination and pathos help the author achieve her purpose. Maya Angelou is a well renowned voice of our time. She quickly achieves her credibility because the novel was written as a memoir of her life. No one can recount the story better than her because this happened personally.

Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying

"Remember always let your conscious be your guide" (thecripplegate.com)

Women and Honor: Some notes on lying by Adrienne Rich incorporates and sets principals that every female should live by. The author states our lies come from selfish reasons. The most common defense most use about lying is that
“we do it to protect others.” This is proven false in the by Adrienne Rich, she vocalizes that the translation of this phrase is we lie to protect ourselves. Lying allows us to avoid difficult issues but in the end it causes more messiness. All women lie whether it is a small white lie like “That shirt looks great on you” or something more serious like being a pathological liar and leading a double life.

The author does a great job of making the essay relatable to women. She uses various examples of lies and establishes ethos by showing the reader that she has used these lies personally. The essay was written for all women, she includes lies of working women, married women, lesbian women, and the average woman. By encompassing topics for every female the author accomplishes her purpose. Her purpose being that the truth is complex but in the end all women should try to use honesty. Although the essay was written in 1977 I still find it to be relevant to today. She achieved her purpose of educating others of honor and lies by using relatable examples and giving background information before introducing a common lie. The author, Adrienne Rich was an inspiration and a firm supporter of feminism, history, stopping racism, and many other topics. She furthers her feminist aesthetic in this essay. She also writes poetry with the topics mainly including political feminist edge through the decades. The piece is informative to any female reader and teaches the audience certain principles to live by.

The lives of cells

We are all made up of cells (http://anguishedrepose.files.wordpress.com/)

Often taught in biology is the concept that nothing and everything matters. Every single thing is related and there is no such thing as a real closed system. In the Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas the reader is informed about the make up of our body. We are nothing without the cells and body bacteria that make us up. The audience who Thomas targeted is anyone with a keen interest in biology or the environment. He informs the reader with intellectual words and describes where everything comes from. He accomplishes ethos by the use of his technical words, describing DNA, mitochondria, centrioles, and many more parts of the body.  The author Lewis Thomas was a physician, educator, and researcher in New York. He attended Princeton University and Harvard Medical School. The essay won the Annual National Book Award and was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Lewis Thomas repeats the word “Item” to inform the reader that something important comes up every time he uses it.  Item is presented as a header for an example. Aside from repetition, metaphors are used in order to help the reader grasp an understanding for such a complex topic. “Symbiots are the rhizobial bacteria in the roots of beans”(Thomas, 359).  Life is a very complex topic, and the authors’ purpose is to describe the weakness of humans in relation to the large multiplex world. Lewis Thomas does an excellent job accomplishing his purpose by gaining the trust of the audience with scientific terms, and also defining these complex terms with metaphors. He informs the reader that while humans feel superior to other life on earth, they have about the same make up as a virus or a simple zoo animal. The only unique trait about us is that our cells have a mind of their own and our daily emotions or activities rely on them. Although the piece at first look seems strictly biological it is perspective changing and very informative.