About "Sister Flowers", An Essay Written by Maya Angelou

Mrs. Flowers was a very important reference in the life of the narrator Maya Angelou. She was portrayed by Maya as being a person who was kind, respectful, highly educated and a source of inspiration. She was a well to do, elegant and highly sofisticated person who had the ability to touch the lives of people that belonged to her community. I dare say that Mrs. Flowers was one of the main people responsible for allowing Maya to flourish and reach higher ground. Mrs. Flowers had an unimaginable power over Maya and over time became a great influence in her life. She was highly supportive and helped Maya to break the walls which may have prevented her from growing as a human being. Maya lived a decent working, middle class life but was going through a moment of vulnerability when she first met with Mrs. Flowers. It is evident that despite being a good student and having some financial support she was going through very difficult psychological problems. Mrs. Flowers was instrumental in her life and appeared at a time of despair. She taught Maya great lessons, as Maya was totally open for absorbing her teachings. Maya really needed a helping hand and Mrs. Flowers provided the extra push necessary for Maya to grow. A few passages in the text, such as, “I met…,the lady who threw my first life lines” and “She was one of the few gentlewomen I have ever known and has remained throughout my life the measure of what a human being can be”, really validate the importance that she had and represented for Maya. These statements translate all the emotions of a person who saw in Mrs. Flowers a living picture of high standards and kindness. I really enjoyed reading this essay. As a reader, I could visualize Maya’s struggle in her teenage years and ultimately reaching maturity and becoming nothing else but a personification of what Mrs. Flowers represented to her.