A significant image in the poem Still I Rise is in the fourth stanza where Angelou compares her shoulders to teardrops, “Shoulders falling down like teardrops.” This is an instance of weakness for the narrator. She is accepting her true sense of neglect and grief. Thus, she contemplates her shoulders dropping like tears despite her confidence and spirit. By using this symbol, Angelou is suggesting that African American women were degraded through racism and discrimination. They joined completely segregated public schools with obsolete textbooks, poor ventilation, and classes were highly congested. Consequently, these women were not well equipped for professional occupations and had to become domestic workers for survival. Angelou grew up knowing she was "naturally inferior" to whites due to her skin color . However, she knew that she was free because she believed that social class, money, and wealth did not lead to any form of dissimilarity. Moreover, she was of the opinion that her joy did not depend on her condition.
Still, I Rise is a strong statement of identity, which is applicable to Celie in The Color Purple because despite being abused, she strives to become a happy, prosperous, and independent woman. The line, “Did you want to see me broken?” in Still I Rise is applicable to Celie. She could have told this to her stepfather, Alphonso, because he used to beat, rape, and impregnate her. Alphonso could have beaten and raped Celie, even more, had she told him these words. Additionally, the line “But still, like air, I’ll rise,” is applicable to Celie as she could have told this to Mr. ______, her husband, who constantly abused her. This would be in a bid to inform Mr. ______ that she was inspired by Shug Avery, and that her life would thrive if they kept in touch. Accordingly, Mr. ______ would forbid Shug from coming close to Celie. Hence, Celie would not have learned how to fight back implying that her sexuality and spirituality could not have developed. Similarly, the line “I am the dream and the hope of the slave,” is applicable to Celie. She could have told this to her husband after their reconciliation, to inform him that despite the challenges she underwent, she had gained financial, spiritual, and emotional independence. In response, Mr. ______ could have asked for forgiveness from Celie for causing her anguish.
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Hello, Reanna King, I concur with you that the image of oil wells is meant to imply the confidence that Angelou had despite having grown up in an era where African American women were looked down upon. Whites did not want blacks to be happy. As such, by being happy, Angelou prompted whites to be jealous of her as if she possessed precious oil wells in her living room. Similarly, it is true that various lines in Still I Rise to relate to the life of Shug Avery in The Color Purple . Generally, Shug is a confident woman who aims at rising, which is similar to what Angelou has in mind. In addition, I like the way you have shown that Shug’s sexual appeal did offend people. This is similar to the way Angelou’s sassiness upset others.
