"Graduation"

"Graduation", written by Maya Angelou, tells about Angelou's experiences at her graduation. Maya is both the author and the speaker in the essay. She does not have any particular biases and is a very trustworthy and reliable source. Maya appreciates everything she is given and does not take anything for granted, although the story takes place in a time where African-Americans were constantly being discriminated against. One could say she looks at the cup half full rather than half empty. In the beginning paragraphs she implies that she loves her school and the environment even though they were segregated and did not have the same opportunities as the white children. The audience in this case is he reader, and more specifically an experienced graduate, whether it be high school or college. The audience should be open to the message that Maya Angelou is spreading, but may not be. Depending on the reader, there may be particular biases involved. For example, if the reader is of African-American descent they may relate to the story more so than others, but if the reader is discriminative against African-Americans they may ignore Maya's message completely. However, that should not be the case in modern times. Maya Angelou's purpose in this essay is to inform and inspire the reader. To inform them about her graduation experience and how she, along with her entire race, was discriminated against by the guest speaker. And, to inspire the reader by how she overcame that occurrence and went on to become a famous author that is highly respected; in addition to, never letting anyone put you down, and always chasing your dreams.