Resistance of Gendered Subaltern: A study of Maya Angelou's I know why the caged bird sings

Abstract

Black women in America have historically endured the triple oppression of race, sex, and class. This paper examines how women have been relegated to subaltern positions through systemic marginalisation by both the White community and patriarchal structures within the Black community. The paper analyses racial and gender stereotypes directed against Black women and their responses, ranging from silent endurance to outspoken resistance. Through an in-depth exploration of Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the study reveals the courage, endurance, and agency of the gendered subaltern who strives for equality in a deeply racialised and patriarchal society. Angelou’s autobiographical narrative is examined within the frameworks of postcolonial and Black feminist thought to
highlight how personal suffering transforms into collective resistance. The paper concludes that Angelou’s writing not only reclaims the silenced voice of the subaltern but also reshapes it into a form of empowerment and cultural resistance, embodying the transformation from silence to song.