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Definition of Personification
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down... read full definition
Personification is a type of figurative language in which non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the... read full definition
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Lameness and Nature:
In the following excerpt from Chapter 2, Angelou meditates on her Uncle Willie and his disability. With the goal of accurately portraying a child's perspective on Willie's lameness, Angelou utilizes personification:
The tragedy of lameness seems so unfair to children that they are embarrassed in its presence. And they, most recently off nature's mold, sense that they have only narrowly missed being another of her jokes.
Angelou personifies nature, referring to "her" as a humanoid being capable of making jokes, and lameness as one of those jokes. From a child's perspective, nature must have humanoid agency—things must happen for a reason, even if that reason is humor. It is hard for children, and even some adults, to accept that something they view as tragic happened due to random coincidence. If nature has agency, "she" can provide a reason for why tragic events happen, countering the destabilization and uncertainty of randomness. Many adult characters in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings—most prominently, Momma—use religion to the same effect. God, akin to Nature, serves as a higher authority with the agency to shape the material world. Both children and adults crave the presence of an external authority figure who has some hand in all events, even tragic ones.
Related Themes:
