Self Esteem as a Theme in Graduation from Maya Angelous I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Intrinsic self-esteem comes from within people, giving them power over their lives. Extrinsic self-esteem comes from others, outside of the individual. This paper touches on self esteem in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by discussing the contrasts of the speeches given in Chapter 23 and the emotions they raised. It concludes that Maya had changed in her perception of her self-worth from the beginning of the book.
