ship terminated due to a friendshipclash(American Writers 5). Bloom notes on page four in Modern AmericanWomen Writers that in Gather Together, Angelous bold headstrong self-assurance and confidence lead her to bluff her way into dangeroussituations. Bloom continues that, Angelous comic-lyric narrative preventsher autobiographical works from becoming a confessional. According toAnnie Gottlieb on page eleven of Contemporary Literary Criticism, GatherTogether in My Name, is a little shorter and thinner than its predecessor,telling of an episodic, wondering and searching period in Maya Angelous life,it lacks the density of childhood. She also goes on to state that it is morecondensed in a way that conveys a world of emotion, where it more likepoetry. Lynn Sukenick on page twelve of Contemporary Literary Criticismgoes on to say that in Gather Together, Maya Angelous insistence on takingfull responsibility for her own life, her frank and humorous examination ofher self, will challenge many a reader to be as honest under easiercircumstances.The climax of Gather Together in My Name, occurs when anunexpected compassionate boyfriend, Troubador Martin, takes Angelou, whois now smoking a profuse amount of marijuana, on a tour of the underworld ofheroin addiction. Troubador makes her watch as he shoots up. Rich yellowpus flowed out and down his arm to the wrist, illustrates Angelous horriddescription of the scene. Angelous refusal to do hard drugs marked the end of her irresponcibility and the beginning of the safeguard to her sonssurvival(Black Women Writers 14).Singin and Swingin and Gettin Merry Like Christmas, is Angelousnext installment of her life. It is considered by many critics to be more of amemoir rather than an autobiography. It covers five years of Angelous life,ranging from age twenty-two to twenty- seven(Modern American Women Writers 4). In this, Angelou expresses her confused feelings about hermother Vivian Baxter, w...
