Maya Angelou developed a temporary mute from the age of five to seven. This was the result of a traumatic childhood experience. The traumatic event was the rape of her seven-year-old cousin. While the words still echoed in her ears, she became severely traumatized that she could not utter a single word. It was almost like something has robbed her of her voice and she simply could not let it out.
The silence lasted for three long years. In this time, Maya Angelou was fortunate enough to encounter a few people who were able to understand her, even while she was unable to express what she was going through. Her grandmother and the lady called Mrs. Flowers were her saviors. It was Mrs. Flowers, who spent time with her patiently and helped her regain her voice that eventually filled her with confidence. Maya Angelou has indicated that she was able to remember the moment where she found her voice and so was also able to speak again.
Maya Angelou cited the incident as a reason for her love for books and learning. She claimed that she was desperate to learn everything she could and so read extensively to compensate for the three years were where she was unable to speak. Therefore, it can be argued that the experience of being mute profoundly helped her advance into a world of knowledge.
Not only did Maya Angelou help expand her own knowledge and wisdom, but she also wrote seven autobiographies and even wrote many essays, belonging to various styles and genres. Apart from books and writing, Maya Angelou also played a huge role in the Civil Rights Movement. She even recited a poem at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. The poem was titled “On the Pulse of Morning,” and it showcased her creativity and skill while giving her a platform to put her story out there.
The most important fact is that despite the immense amount of trauma, Maya Angelou was able to go on and outwit her fears and eventually gain her voice back. Over the years, she has become quite a well-known figure; she was even chosen to read a poem at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Her story is an inspiration for many, and it highlights the bravery and courage that she has her courage as well.
The Dimensions of Mute
The condition of being mute came with complex dimensions for Maya Angelou. While communication was mandated back then for the development of any child, Angelou experienced the complete opposite. With her voice withheld, Angelou was unable to develop a sense of speech and language. This caused immense emotional distress and self-confidence issues such as characteristic self-protection, distrust of authority and muted sensations of emotional well-being.
Mute can be seen as a form of a disorder or a trait. This is because the duration and context of the mute varies from individual to individual. In Angelou’s case, the duration of the mute only lasted three years, as opposed to other cases where the mute can span through a larger duration of time. At the same time, it has to be taken into consideration that the mute was not a diagnosis or an ‘illness’ in Angelou’s case but rather a consequence of traumatic experiences.
The muteness was also looked upon an evolutionary psychology trait in Angelou’s case, where her mind and body were in a state of chaos. This caused a complete absence of stimulus-response in the case of Angelou’s mute. Apart from this, the absence of verbal communication led to Angelou to explore her surroundings more than she normally would have. By understanding her environment through non-verbal language, Angelou developed a good sense of nonverbal stimuli.
The Impact of Trauma
It is clear that when talking about Maya Angelou’s mute, it is impossible not to also talk about the immense trauma she experienced. Trauma has been known to cause immense disruption to the mind and body, and this is in fact, the primary reason for Angelou’s muteness. Trauma was the main cause for Angelou’s mute and for her inability to communicate. The trauma was inflicted due to the rape of her seven-year-old cousin.
Apart from the mental state that the trauma induced upon Angelou, there was also the physical side of the trauma. Angelou’s body was completely stricken by the trauma and it showed with her refusal to speak. This showed as a type of self-protection, ultimately because by keeping silent, Angelou was able to bypass any further communication or interpretations regarding the traumatic incident.
As a result of the trauma, Angelou was in a complete state of disarray. Her self-consciousness was hurt and she was unable to process social cues that were conveyed through verbal communication. This was because this type of communication was what had enabled the perpetrator to get away with the assault.
The trauma become embodied into Angelou’s mute, making it a particularly difficult ordeal for her. Despite the severing periods of mute, Angelou was able to rebuild the courage and strength to finally be able to regain her voice so that she could continue her lifes journey without the fear and pain of her trauma.
The Needs of Reintegration
After a prolonged period of mute, the person needs to be reintegrated into the society. Getting accustomed to verbal communication as something that should be done every day is not easy and needs an immense amount of effort, patience and determination. Fortunately for Angelou, she was fortunate enough to find a few people, such as her grandmother and Mrs. Flowers, who provided her with the support she needed within the transition.
The reintegration was harder for Angelou, because she had to go a step beyond the ordinary reintegration process. This was because, due to the trauma, she was unable to form any bond that could provide her with the strength to move on. Through exclusive commitment, she was able to form a bond with her grandmother and latter Mrs. Flowers. The relationship with Mrs. Flowers was especially important, as she taught Angelou different type of nursery rhymes and stories, kindling a spark of interest in the art of language.
This stage of reintegration showed that there was a certain drive within Angelou to overcome her mute. This was shown through her love for learning and knowledge, with her voracious need for reading literature that had extreme range of genres and styles. This way, she was able to keep up the pace with her peers by immersing herself in a language-rich environment.
Angelou was soon able to express her emotions, thoughts and feelings through using literary arts as a medium, thus being able to communicate her feelings to the world. She eventually managed to published seven autobiographies, one of which was an account on her mute, giving her the platform to put her story out in the world.
The Support People Gave
The support of people around Angelou was the most significant factor in her healing process. Her grandmother and Mrs. Flowers, who both showered her with unconditional love, were crucial within the process of Angelou’s reintegration. They taught her values and what it meant to be a part of a society and family, a concept that might have been hard to understand when being mute.
The love and care of her family was also the source of strength for Angelou. Her family was instrumental in helping her rebuild her confidence and self-esteem. They provided Angelou with an environment of love and showed her that it was ok to make mistakes. This eventually allowed her to gradually open up, enabling her to connect with the surrounding people and eventually, regain her voice.
Angelou’s family also provided her with unconditional acceptance, understanding and love, which gave her a sense of belonging. This was especially instrumental for her at a young age, as she was able to find a sense of safety and comfort with those around her, helping her trust and express herself. Through all of this, Angelou was able to find the strength and courage to move on, letting her find her voice again.
The Reason to Speak
Angelou regained her voice because of the strong bond she made with certain people in her life. This showed her that speaking was something to appreciate, rather than be scared of. Once Angelou formed a bond with these individuals and began enjoying their company, she realised the need for communication and that it was not something to be feared. As she began to gain interest in language-rich activities, such as reading and writing, she was also able to learn more about the importance of speaking.
Being unable to speak created a huge void within Maya Angelou. This not only affected her emotionally but it also impacted her socially, where she was the one missing out on the conversations and social situations. It was harder for her to find a job, or even make friends, since she was unable to comment or carry a conversation properly. These limitations created a desire within Maya Angelou to once again be able to speak like everyone else.
The most powerful reason for Angelou to regain her voice, however, was for the purpose of self-expression. As Angelou did not have a verbal form of expression, she resorted to literary arts as a medium to convey her feelings. Yet being able to express oneself through verbal communication is something that Angelou eventually realised was necessary for her to fulfill her emotional and social needs.
The Moment of Regain
After three years of silence, Angelou was able to find her voice again. Angelou has described this experience as ‘the moment of reclaiming her voice’. This moment was a testament to the strength and courage of Angelou. It showed that despite the severe trauma and being mute for so many years, Angelou was able to break the shackles of fear and regain her freedom.
The reclaim of her voice was a significant juncture in Angelou’s life. It was a huge victory over the aggressor and a confirmation of her strength and tenacity. Not only was this moment an achievement of her personal goals, but it also enabled her to express her thoughts, emotions and feelings in the way that she wanted.
This moment was also symbolic, as it allowed Angelou to challenge the stigmatism that she received from her peers and the surrounding society. Through speaking out, Angelou was able to control her narrative and her path without being limited by the fear of being silenced. It was also this reclaiming of her voice that ultimately led her to her career in writing, where she was able to express herself and share her story with the world.
