New Directions written by Maya Angelou is a motivational story for African women. It tells about Mrs. Anne Johnson of Arkansas found herself with two toddler sons who had almost no money. Both she and her husband admitted that their marriage and living conditions were not as expected. Anne knew that this was not the life she wanted, so she divorced her husband. She only kept a one-room house, while her husband took most of the cash. Although Anne is not a good cook, after her divorce, in order to support her children and herself, she made up her mind to come near two factories and sell pies to the workers. The brave and hardworking Anne never disappointed the workers. She did find herself a new direction in life and successfully walked the path she wanted to take.
Refusing to be a victim of marriage and bravely seeking a new direction in life. Due to the traditional culture of gender discrimination in Africa, women are destined to get married and have children, relying on their husbands to live. However, Anne bravely breaks the shackles of African women's marriage in the story. At the beginning of the story, although Anne had two children and her family was not well-off, she still clearly realized that this kind of married life was not what she wanted. She rationally proposed to her husband, who also stated that the current marriage was not as expected. Therefore, Anne did not have ideal life skills, but she resolutely divorced her husband. In the story, when Annie says: “I looked up the road I was going and back the way I came, and since I wasn’t satisfied, I decided to step off the road and cut me a new path.” In Africa, where women have extremely low social status and rely on their husbands to survive, Anne has the courage to divorce her husband and is unwilling to follow the path of most traditional African women. Instead, she seeks a new direction in her life, and her courage is admirable.
Difficulties stimulate one's potential, while trials strengthen one's determination. Most African women, due to their lack of necessary survival skills, are willing to rely on their husbands and humiliate themselves as slaves to marriage for the rest of their lives. In fact, they do not have the courage to face and overcome difficulties. In fact, taking a brave step can stimulate their potential abilities. After the divorce, Anne faced many difficulties. She needed to find a way to make money for herself and her children as soon as possible, because her husband did not leave her any wealth, and her tall figure was not suitable for household chores. She also did not have the skills to work as a worker. Faced with these difficulties, Anne did not give up or shrink back. She only spent one night carefully formulating a plan that was suitable for her. Although she told herself that she wasn't a fancy cook but that she could "mix groceries well enough to scare hunger away and from starving a man." The next morning, she brought meat patties, lard, an iron brazier, and coal to the vicinity of two factories. She made pies and sold them to workers. Annie succeeded, and her pies are becoming more and more popular among workers. If she hadn't had the courage to divorce her husband at the time, she wouldn't have known she could have successfully found a new direction in life and continued to succeed on this path. So, courage can repel all difficulties, and strong willpower can help people discover new selves.
Strongly breaking old rules and striving for a new life path for oneself. Each of us should objectively review the path we have taken. If there is no hope of continuing in the old direction, we should have the courage to break through ourselves, find a new direction and path for ourselves, and win a successful life for ourselves. In the story of New Directions, Anne and her husband have already had two children, but when she looks back on her previous marriage road, she clearly realizes that this is not the life she wants. She believes that even if she perseveres, there is no hope of happiness. She bravely divorced her husband. She was strong enough to overcome all difficulties and found a suitable way to make money. She endured hardships and worked hard, and the more she sold her pies, the better. She had indeed stepped from the road which seemed to have been chosen for her and cut herself a brand-new path. She did not silently endure the shackles of marriage like other African women. She bravely broke through stereotypes and fought for opportunities to embark on a new path in her future life.
In conclusion, African women need great courage and strong will to break stereotypes, as they have long accepted the concept of male superiority and female inferiority. Anne in the story is strong and brave. She dares to think and criticizes about the path she has taken, she dares to break through the bonds of her unhappy marriage, she overcomes difficulties with strength, and finds a new direction and path for her future life. Her success is undoubtedly the dawn and hope of African women. As long as women are brave and determined, they can also embark on their own path of happy life.
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