Rashed Janahi Coursework 10BA

Explore how each writer uses language and structure to convey their
personal experiences.

The poems explored in this essay are ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou, ‘Disabled’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘The
Necklace’ by maupassant introduces us to the story of a middle-class family with a hard working with a
wife who is superficial and materialistic. Maya Angelou distinctively talks about how she overcame
racism, traumatisation and prejudice growing up as an African American in a world of where people
were discriminating her and undermining her capability. Fortunately, the novel concludes positively,
showing us the determination of maya Angelou, and her ability to overcome racism as she ‘still rises’.
Lastly, Robert Frost talks about child labour in the USA, a minor suffering the consequences of forced
child labour, him and his family dealing with the trauma. Conclusively, all writers similarly conveyed their
personal experiences through traumatic events.

Still I rise by Maya Angelou

Throughout the poem still I rise, Maya Angelou uses a self-assuring and optimistic poem to reinforce her
unbothered attitudes towards oppression, she conveys her positivity and ignorance towards the
oppression, atypical although highly inspiring. This is clearly evident in the quotation “Cause I laugh like
I’ve got gold mines diggin’ my own backyard “. Her use of colloquial language and a simile is highly ironic,
her reaction to the oppression she faces contraindicates the typical reaction expressed, she “laughs” and
instead of undermining and downgrading herself, she satirically does the opposite. In addition, ‘gold
mines’ are synonymous with wealth and financially stable people, the juxtaposition between the
superior race who are wealthy, and the inferior race foreshadows irony. Angelou ‘gold mines’
juxtapositions the typical stereotype of black people being poor. This highlights Maya Angelou’s personal
experiences as traumatising which shows

The era Maya Angelou speaks about is an era where the equality between races were very unequal and
unfair which were mostly from the white race, and any protests from other races like the black race
would make them arrested and not change the white race’s mind. We can clearly identify this in the
quotation “Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like
teardrops. Weakened my soulful eyes? “The use of rhetorical questions brings us a flashback of how
Maya Angelou was treated not only her but also the whole of the black race as well. The use of the
phrase “Bowed head and lowered eyes “emphasises how the white race objectified black people and
treated them with no equity, respect and dignity.
Correspondingly and in an absolute parallel sense, these poems all create immense empathy through the
the expression of the difficulties they each went through, through societal expectations and perspectives
on each oppressed writer.

Disabled by Wilfred Owen

Disabled people were treated so much differently in the early 1900s almost like some zombie. We can
identify clearly in the quote “All of them touch him like some queer disease “. As we see here after a
young charming man sacrifice his life for his country, he returns alive but comes back to his country
disabled, since then girls and people overall see him as nothing but a piece of junk, having posters
hanging around telling them to protect their country and they end up with no respect and honour to
what they did for their lives and country. The phrase “queer disease “emphasises how almost everyone
sees him in person and how people show respect except for those you seem perfect on the outside.

The support of a soldier coming back from a war is something a soldier would expect as he put his life on
the line at such an age where he can enjoy his family and age. We can see here in this quotation “ Some
cheered him home, but not as crowds cheer Goal “this highlight how only his family cherished what he
did, but others and society did not. The way Wilfred Owen compares these two situations shows us how
people in the early 1900s were selfish and couldn’t care for anything other than what the love and like.
The word “cheered “makes me imagine how big of an achievement the military is , going to risk your life
for your country my seem like an overstatement but it is true, guns, wired fence and many more other
challenging and painful obstacles.

The Necklace

The Necklace is a story that shows that people can care about other people thoughts over their
own thoughts which is what we can see in this story. This is highlighted in the quote “There’s
nothing so humiliating as to look poor when you’re with women who are rich. “This shows that
Madam Loisel only cares about other people's perspective on her looks as beauty is what only
matters to her. The word “poor “emphasises that if she doesn’t have something extravagant and
lavish that means to her that she is poor, this makes us show that her surroundings and friends
make her feel poor no matter the look only the price and the brand.

Madam Loisel is clearly a superficial character which exposes her mood changes, this is shown
in the quotation “She threw her arms around her friend” this clearly shows that when adam
Loisel has a materialistic appearance her mood drastically changes. The word “threw” shows
how her mood changes when she becomes a superficial person because when she acquires
expensive and luminous jewellery, she feels entitled and good as she puts it on. When the
writer uses shift in mood, it appears to us how only appearance matters to her while
participating events with wealthy women to show off that she is as prosperous and powerful as
they are.

Towards the end of the text, we see that Madam Loisel gains pride and honesty as her personal
experience changed her over the years. This suggests that Madam Loisel faced the reality of
money which shouldn’t be used just for jewellery and the way you look. The quotation “She had
turned into the battling, hard, uncouth housewife”. This tells us that Madam Loisel has changed
her mindset over the years with the realisation of how appearance is not the principal of life,
and with that consequences will take place.