Black Women Oppression in Maya Angelou Autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: An Appraisal Analysis of Attitude and Graduation

Oleh :
Hasna Nasywa Wijaya - B0322042 - Fak. Ilmu Budaya

This study aims to explain how Black women's oppression is linguistically evaluated in Maya Angelou's autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, focusing on the Attitude system (Affect, Judgement, Appreciation) and Graduation, as well as how these evaluations develop across the narrative genre stages of seven selected life episodes. This research uses a descriptive qualitative method with an embedded single-case study design, applying Appraisal Theory, genre theory, and the Five Faces of Oppression framework. The results show that 312 data drawn from the selected life episodes: Affect is the dominant resource, presenting oppression as an embodied experience that shifts from fear and sadness in the Complication stage toward confidence and pride in the Resolution and Coda stages. Judgement mainly condemns oppressors' behavior before shifting to praise Black women's resilience, while Appreciation devalues bodies, spaces, and experiences under cultural imperialism before partially reclaiming their worth. Graduation, particularly Force: Raising, intensifies these evaluations, especially in the Complication stage. Overall, genre and Appraisal work cooperatively: oppression is introduced in Orientation, escalated in Complication, emotionally turned in Evaluation, and resolved through resistance in Resolution and Coda.