FRANCINE A.

VALDEZ 21st CENTURY

ABM 12- LUCIO TAN

CRITICAL ESSAY
I. Background Information The Poem "Equality" by Maya Angelou, which was
released in 1990. Equality Maya Angelou. African
American Poetry, 1990. It discusses how black
women are viewed and treated by men and
demands an end to racial and gender injustice.
1. Title EQUALITY

2. Author MAYA ANGELOU- Maya Angelou was a

celebrated novelist who also performed as a
dancer, singer, activist, and scholar. Her distinctive
and innovative autobiographical writing style is
what made her most well-known. Marguerite Ann
Johnson, better known as Maya Angelou, was born
in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928.
3. Purpose of the poem. Provide evidence, extract The poem calls for an end to gender and Racial
lines from the poem inequity while addressing how males view and treat
black women.

"You announce my ways are wanton, that I Fly from

man to man, but if I'm just a shadow to you, could
you ever understand?"

• It discusses about the double standards towards

women.
4. Theme of the poem It is an Optimistic Poetry with a happy message. It
talks movingly of potential outcomes in the Future.
Through Repetition and Poetric Devices, The
Concept of Equality and freedom is communicated
Because of the Title.
II. Summary Write the issues being raised in the In Maya Angelou's poetry "Equality" the Phrase
poem Interpretation and Evaluation "Equality and I shall be free appears six times, and
is repeated to emphasize the themes of equality,
racism and discrimination

•it is about how some people lock and behave

carelessy towards things like treating others fairly.
Others act as though this is a non-issue. but it's not
as far as I can remember. I have never thought that
everyone in the world is equal. The truth is that
Racism and disonmination are the only things that
exist there is NO Equality
III. A. Discuss the style of the author in presenting the Her perspective on the subject is presented in the
issues style of her inimitable poetry, which conveys a
strong message that has held up through time. The
atmosphere that Angelou creates with her use of
metaphor, imagery, repetition, and distinctive word
choice sticks with the reader long after they have
read and reread the poem.
B. Discuss if the author was successful in persuading . The Author of the Poem Equality, Maya Angelo,
the audience regarding the issues was effective in persuading her readers of the
significance of equality. Despite the fact that
equality has been a subject for many writers,
Maya's distinct and uncomplicated style and the
literary content make this poem fairly simple to
read.
IV. Reflection: How are the issues presented affect Even if race has no genetic or scientific foundation,
you? it is a significant and crucial concept. Society bases
privilege, exclusion, and injustice on race and uses
it as a justification for these things.
As Filipinos, we have encountered racial
discrimination even within our own nation. The
issue affects me as well since we have internalized
racism and consider ourselves to be second-class
citizens.
The subject raised in the poem let me realize how
important this matter is for everyone. The thought
that there are still wonderful individuals in the world
who desire to live such a life, though, made me
happy. A world where everyone is on equal footing.
 FRANCINE A. VALDEZ 21st CENTURY
ABM 12- LUCIO TAN

Direction: Fill out the table with point of view, conflict and theme. Use Scanning as a
reading technique.

Literary Element Question Answer

Point of View 1. Who is narrating the story? 1. Third Person Point of View

We can infer that a narrator is the

one who is telling the story.
There is a narrative presence
telling the story and referring to
the people in the third person
since the narrator refers to them
by name or as "he/she/they" and
"him/her/them."
Conflict 2. What struggle is the main 2. When Maia was very young,
character facing in this story? her parents passed away,
leaving her an orphan. She had
to live with ungrateful family after
that and deal with the horrible
truth, which made life difficult for
her.
Theme 3. What is the main idea 3. In the novel Journey to the
expressed in the story? River Sea, the general theme
revolves around the beauty and
struggles of life. The book is
about adventure, as its title
suggests. It's a thrilling
adventure tale with themes of
family and class, the strength of
friendship, the value of nature to
the human spirit, personal
accountability for one's choices,
the value of embracing new
experiences, and redemption.
Additionally, it provided a
realistic depiction of what it's like
to grow up as an orphan as well
as the terrible things that can
happen.

Assessment 2.1. Comprehension Check

Direction: The story was quite interesting. Now, answer the questions that follow to test
your understanding.
1. What problems did Maia experience during her Although Maia enjoys the mystique of Brazil, she
travel to Brazil? can't stand the mysterious attitude of her distant
relatives, the Carters, who look down on the locals
and constantly moan about everything in Brazil.
Since they rarely leave their home and frequently
complain about it, Maia is forced to stay inside as
well.
2. What are the characteristics of Gwendolyn and They are selfish. The twins, Beatrice and
Beatrice? Gwendolyn, are the main antagonists of the novel.
They are vain, spoilt and pretty, and they dislike
their cousin Maia. They think only of money,
dresses and chocolate.Even when the smallest
issues, they would argue.
3. What life lessons did she learn from her friends The life lessons that she learn from her friends Finn
Finn and Clovis? and Clovis is that work hard and strive for the
best. Also Clovis and Finn, Maia's two
companions, have demonstrated to her that
everyone can achieve their goals if they put their
minds to it.