Maya Angelou is widely known as one of the foremost writers of the twentieth century. She was married three times and each marriage lasted for a different amount of time. Angelou was first married at the age of 17 to Tosh Angelos from 1951 to 1954. She then married Vus Mak Tann from 1960 to 1966, and finally married Paul du Feu from 1973 to 1981.
When Angelou was 17, she married Tosh Angelos. At this age, marriage was much more common than it is today. Angelou’s parents did not accept her decision, but the marriage didn’t last very long and ended in 1954, when Angelou was just 20 years old. This may have been because of the fact that Angelou and Angelos had conflicting goals and ambitions.
After her first marriage, Angelou married Vus Mak Tann in 1960. This marriage fell apart quickly, but lasted longer than the first one, ending in 1966. This may have been due to the fact that both Angelou and Mak Tann were very busy, with their professional and personal lives clashing with one another. Angelou was heavily involved with activism during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, while Mak Tann had his own career goals that he was determined to achieve.
Angelou’s last marriage was to Paul du Feu in 1973. Their marriage was the longest of all of Angelou’s marriages, lasting for eight years until it ended in 1981. During their time together, du Feu and Angelou had a son, named Guy Johnson, in 1967. However, their relationship didn’t work out in the end, and the two separated in 1981.
Despite her three marriages, Maya Angelou was never one to settle down. She was always a prolific writer, and seemed to identify with the idea of being an independent woman, who didn’t need a man to define her. Despite her marriages not lasting, Angelou still saw them as important and influential parts of her life, which she wrote extensively about in her memoirs.
Types of Marriages
When looking at the three marriages of Maya Angelou, it’s clear that each one was different in its own way, with varying lengths and circumstances. Her first marriage to Tosh Angelos was a teenage romance, while her second marriage to Vus Mak Tann was a result of her own ambition and drive. Finally, her longest marriage to Paul du Feu provided her with her son, Guy Johnson, who would become an important figure in her life.
Effects of Marrying at a Young Age
Maya Angelou’s first marriage, to Tosh Angelos at the age of 17, was far from unusual at the time, but can be seen as a more controversial decision in today’s society. Marrying so young was perhaps a sign of Angelou’s ambition to be independent, but it also had its drawbacks, as the marriage fell apart quickly due to the couple’s conflicting goals.
Effects of Late Marriage
Angelou’s third marriage to Paul du Feu was much more successful than the first two, lasting a total of eight years. This may have been because they were both experienced by this point, and they had a greater understanding of each other’s needs and wants. Despite the long duration of the marriage, the two eventually separated in 1981, perhaps due to the fact they had outgrown each other by this point.
Unconventional Relationship
Although Maya Angelou was married three times, she may be seen as an unconventional woman, who wasn’t interested in settling down and having a traditional relationship. She was much more interested in her career and her activism, something that may have caused tensions within her marriages. Despite this, Angelou still saw each of her marriages as influential parts of her life, which she wrote extensively about in her memoirs.
Proving Her Independence
By marrying three different men,and each marriage lasting a varying amount of time, Maya Angelou may have been proving to herself and the world that she didn’t need to settle down for a traditional relationship to define her. She was a driven and passionate writer, who was more focused on her professional achievements than her marriage, something that may have caused tensions within her relationships.
