Mrs Henderson is the pride of the whole black community and a symbol of black self-reliance. She leads a better life than some white people. She keeps the house in good order and is always generous to black people who come to buy things. She won the respect of blacks through her own efforts and wisdom, and even whites called her "madam". Grandma is also the most respected person in Maya. Soon after coming to her side, she changed her name to "Aunt". By her grandmother's side, Maya enjoyed the love and care that should have been given by her parents, and began to understand the inequality between blacks and whites. Grandma's grocery store is like a microcosm of society. She welcomes all kinds of people every day, observes their words and deeds, and makes Maya realize how difficult it is for blacks to survive in this white-dominated world. Angelo pointed out that the whole American public opinion generally believes that the success of black men lies in sports, while the success of women lies in family service. The black woman Portia Fryworth in Angelo's works broke this traditional pattern. "At the age of eight, Maya returned to her mother, but was raped by her boyfriend. Maya's heart was greatly hurt, and she began to become silent and autistic, refusing to talk to anyone for more than a year. Although her grandmother and brother are very concerned about Maya, she still refuses to talk. "For about a year, I have been soaking in houses, shops, schools and churches, like an old biscuit, dirty and inedible. Later, I met, or more accurately, a lady who threw me the first straw. " The "lady" in Maya's mouth is a respected Mrs. Fryvo, who opened Maya's new understanding of language and became the first person to guide her out of silence.
Lwoff people are outstanding representatives of black women in Stamp, and they are also the first teachers of Maya. In Maya's eyes, she is an elegant angel. "She is smart, knowledgeable, gentle and beautiful, which is completely different from the traditional rural black women who lack education and are simple-minded." The article is full of Maya's praise for her: "Her skin is dark, like a plum, and it will curl when pinched." Her innate charm makes her as warm as spring in the coldest days. Her behavior is as elegant as the white people in movies and books. She never smiles. "But she often smiles. Her thin black lips slowly open, revealing neat, delicate and white teeth, and then slowly close freely." She is one of the few ladies I know, and it is the measure of how I will behave in my life. There is a sense of pride in being black between the lines of the article.
When Lwoff people learned about Maya from her grandmother, one summer afternoon, she went to the store to buy things and invited Maya to her home. On the way, she talked a lot with Margaret. "Margaret, I heard that you did well in school, but it was all written. Teachers report that it is difficult for them to get you to speak in class ... Listen, no one forced you to speak, and maybe no one can. But remember, language is the way people communicate with their peers, and it is language that distinguishes humans from lower animals ... Your grandmother said that you have read a lot of books and had opportunities. Good, but not enough. The meaning of words is not only implemented on paper, but also needs people's voices to give it subtle differences in a deeper sense. " This is a brand-new statement for Maya. Then the people of Lwoff told Maya, "Never tolerate ignorance, but understand that you have no culture. Some people can't go to school, but they are more educated and even more talented than university professors. " She read Maya the fragments from A Tale of Two Cities, which made Maya feel respected for the first time. It was the enlightenment of Mrs. Flayvo that opened Maya's long-closed heart, and she began to realize the value of her existence gradually, and understood that she should face life rather than escape. With the help of Lwoff people, Maya's mental trauma slowly began to heal, gradually out of the nightmare, and finally began to speak again. Another unconventional female image in the book is Maya's mother Vivian Baxter. She is a beautiful and charming hybrid. She is educated, well-born, lively and humorous, loves life, and is smart and capable. Living in a northern city, she has a very independent spirit. Beauty makes her self-confident, self-confidence makes her frank and unflinching, and she enjoys autonomy in marriage, family and gender relations. After divorcing her husband, she embarked on the road of self-reliance. However, "she doesn't want to wash clothes for anyone, deal with soap bubbles all day, or be a cheap cook for anyone." The kindest God gave her a clever mind, which she will use to support her mother and children. "She shuttled between casinos and bars, but she never made money by cheating." At her parents' home, she was never bullied by her brothers. On the contrary, she is the only one of the four brothers and sisters who is enthusiastic and outgoing. They obey her, and she tries to be protected by them everywhere; In the ethnic group, men also respect her, and sometimes she can even boss around and do whatever she wants without scruple. "
Vivian Baxter is not bound by social customs and pursues self-development. However, for the pursuit of life, she can also ignore her role as a mother. She was too busy with her career to care about Bailey and Maya, which led to Maya being raped. Mother should be the protector and guide of her daughter's life, but Maya didn't get her mother's care and protection. In the process of communicating with her classmates, young Maya had a vague understanding of sex, but no one guided her, which led her to suspect that she was gay, which led her to choose a white boy in the community as the experimental object, and she became an unmarried mother. It can be said that these two experiences of Maya's growth are related to Vivian Baxter's failure to fulfill her mother's responsibilities.
But even so, in the face of this "beautiful and wild mother", Bailey and Maya were attracted by her charm. In addition, it is her independent and open personality that makes Vivian Baxter give Maya courage and strength at a critical moment. For example, when Maya decided to be the first black conductor to be hired on the San Francisco tram, she encouraged her to say, "Is this what you want to do? In this case, nothing can interrupt your efforts except failure. If you have the strength, you will do it all. " When Maya became an unmarried mother, Vivian's secret of life-"make the most optimistic estimate and prepare for the worst, so nothing will surprise people" inspired her to move on. With the help of her mother, Maya is very satisfied and mature, and has a son who belongs to her completely.