ABSTRACT
Autobiographical novels, such as Angela’s Ashes (McCourt, 1998) and I Know Why A Caged Bird Sings (Angelou, 1983) document the development of extraordinary individuals who have overcome deprived or traumatic childhoods. In Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt poignantly describes the trials of growing up in Ireland, cold and hungry, with a father who squandered his meager income on alcohol. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, McCourt escaped the harshness of his early upbringing to fulfill his desire for a better life by becoming a writer. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou writes of being rejected by her mother and father, being raped as a child, and becoming pregnant at age 16. Angelou’s other books describe her search for esteem and belongingness as a young woman, and her eventual fulfillment as an adult (Angelou, 1984, 1985a, 1985b). Individuals, like McCourt and Angelou, who confront significant obstacles as children, yet go on to establish successful adult lives, exemplify the concept of resilience.
