Negros, non-arguably, had a grand variety of things against them in the 20th century. Presently, this stands, despite what was thought to be learned from influential figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Maya Angelou herself, though it is believed that a considerably larger attempt to hide that fact exists nowadays. In actuality, Angelou herself plainly points out this long-term hypocrisy, as, even with all the reformations, learned behavior and emotions—many agree, given the history of blatant racism—aren’t so easy to amend. Being all too aware of this, the main character makes a genuine effort to survive. Guided by her mother’s words of wisdom and her own wit, she refrains from getting discouraged in order to pursue a desired career.
The protagonist simply wants to become a conductorette—at least initially. As any other teen, Maya Angelou ponders on her choices in regards to employment before setting that goal for herself. An elevated ego ruled out office work, while her age kept well-paying defense jobs at bay.…show more content… Angelou makes her way to the offices of the Market Street Railway Company, which allow her to discern that her reason for doing so doesn’t just lie within her wanting to become a conductorette. It’s more about how this black teenager’s potential entry will alter the system. Maintaining an air of confidence, she faces a clerk that turns her away with a lie she fabricates on the spot. Unexpectedly, the clerk’s rudeness is soon overlooked, dismissed as the learned emotions of a mere puppet of society. Many visits followed that one, although her patience and perseverance weren’t rewarded until much later, when her superiors had her work twice as much as the average person. Nonetheless, she used this to her advantage, acquiring the money, wisdom, and maturity that introduced her to the same state of mind as her gladdened influential
