Willie Flashcards
Defiance (41 cards)
Illustrates his…
everyday life
Angelou was very fond of her uncle
She admired his courage and strength
4 Big Ideas
- Racism
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Resilience and daily confrontation to hardships and adversities
- Determination to survive
UNIVERSAL MESSAGE
Maintaining a positive outlook will allow you to overcome adversities
“Willie a man without fame”
The speaker is observant, and keeps a low profile.
“Willie”
Direct reference to Angelou´s uncle
“Without fame”
After reading the poem, we find out that the reason for his quiet persona is because he is a black man and has a disability.
He needs to maintain unheard of because otherwise they will find more reasons to torment and mock him.
“Crippled and limping, always walking lame,”
Imagery of his physical constraints.
The adverb “always” portrays…
his suffering as being continuous. His physical impairments have served as a burden throughout the whole course of his life.
“Lame”
Further establishes Willie´s troubles and difficulties in walking.
The gerunds : “limping” and “walking”
create a vivid image of Willie´s continual struggle
“Crippled and limping” - Despite these physical barriers, he…
” ´I keep on movin´ / movin´just the same.´”
” ´I keep on movin´ / movin´just the same.´”
The dialogue, indicated by the parenthesis, voices Willie´s resilience and defiance as he refuses to be brought down by his physical limitations.
The verb, “Keep”, portrays…
Willie´s possession over his attitude and outlook
“´I keep on movin´”
Dignity and pride
Repetition of “movin´”
Emphatic. Increases the pace and rhythm of the poem, which is ironic as the readers are aware that Willie is unable to be quick due to his disability.
“´movin´just the same.´”
Acknowledgement of his barriers . But he is calm as he has accepted his circumstances.
“Emptiness was the partner in his bed,”
Metaphor and personification - Highlights the consequences his solitude has brought upon his emotional pain.
“Emptiness” and “solitude” is…
something he has grown accustomed too.
(Lexical field of Isolation)
“partner”
(+ D.I.)
Evokes sympathy and pathos in readers as we are aware that Willie is highly unlikely to be able to marry due to his deformities
D.I.
Willie is forced to accept his isolation and alienation from society
“People called him ´Uncle´, ´Boy´, and ´Hey´,”
The short pieces of dialogue represent Willie´s dehumanisation and reflects society´s poor perceptions of him.
The gradual decay in identity, is seen in : ´Uncle´, ´Boy´, and ´Hey´
Which further establishes the cruelty and malice white people had towards African Americans, especially those who were disabled.
“People” “waited to hear what he would say”
The expect him to give up
“´Where the leaders led´”
Allusion to Maya and her activism.
Willie follows the orders of “leaders” because he wants to fight for a better future, one which won´t victimise him.
