Betty Marie The Osage Firebird

“The free bird thinks of another breeze….a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams…” The two literary works “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou and Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” can be seen as mockingbirds that have flown over fields of prejudice and repeat what they have seen for all to hear. Jem Finch, a young boy and lawyer’s son from “To Kill a Mockingbird” clearly symbolizes a mockingbird because of his youth and innocence, and because of his innocence he cannot fully understand the racism in the story. Jem also has many similarities to the caged and free birds in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, whether it be Jem’s

In an excerpt from her novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings called “Graduation,” Maya Angelou narrates the anticipation surrounding graduation in her small town of Stamps, Alabama. Angelou effectively contrives noteworthy differences between paragraphs 1 through 5 and 6 through 10 through the use of emotional and descriptive diction, powerfully bold comparisons, and a shift in perspective in order to instill pride and dignity in Angelou and her race despite the era’s highlighted social injustices which she endures.

One of my favorite post-modernist authors that I read this semester was, Edward P. Jones. Jones book of short stories,‘Lost In The City’ was released in 1992. I specifically enjoyed the story, ‘The Girl Who Raised Pigeons’ because it was poetic, beautiful, and exposed the brutal reality of breaking up a neighborhood. The historical context of the story takes place in the late 1950s. I believe that Jones’ intentions in this story was to show how supportive and helpful everyone is in the neighborhood in the surrounding Washington DC area. With the emphasis on street names, peoples job descriptions, landmarks, store names, and the welcoming people mentioned within the story, it becomes obvious that Jones’ depicts how helpful the people in the

Deep in the forest of Frederick Douglass’s autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the caged bird sings on. The singing slaves in Douglass’s narrative are the caged birds of Maya Angelou’s famous poem, filling the air around them with desire: desire for a freedom so far out of reach—for “things unknown but longed for still.”

Birds are a common sight in most places people tend to be. These winged creatures are seen in bustling places like the pigeons that are in urban and suburban areas, the woodpeckers in rural regions, the crows on farms, and even in cages within buildings. In fact, these elegant creatures are so common a sight in society that they are often overlooked and underappreciated. This is similar to how women were and sometimes still are treated within society; they are given little appreciation when they are present and doing as they are told, but when they do not do as they are told they become a problem. This parallel that can be drawn between women and birds is used throughout Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, in which its main character Edna Pontellier is often likened to and symbolized by a bird. Throughout the novel, the bird acts as a theme and symbol of both Edna and women in general.

The book is written in narrative flow and shows Pocahontas’s development from a little girl to a grown woman. The author is showing how big of an impact a woman made to her people and culture. Even at the age of nine she was a main concern of her people because her father was Powhatan, the paramount chief. At that time she experienced strangers who came to her father’s kingdom in big ships. As the story progresses, she is more and more as a greatly influential person. Townsend portrays that she is the one who saved John Smith’s life. She also explains who Kocoom is and his relationship ties to Pocahontas.

Throughout the drama, Mrs. Wright and the canary share many similarities. For example, Mrs. Hale, the wife of Mr. Hale, describes that Mrs. Wright “was kind of like a bird herself—sweet and pretty, but kind of timid and—fluttery” (185). Overall, the quotation describes Mrs. Wright as a gentle and submissive woman, the type of woman society expected her to be. In addition, although Mrs. Hale compares her to a bird in a favorable manner, she also defines Mrs. Wright as a woman that is fragile and uncappable of providing for herself, another social stereotype that women were subject to. Ultimately, however, the rigid social expectations for women served to reiterate their role in the home and to further confine them to the homestead itself, especially as society typically objectified and trivialized women, celebrating the conforming wife while condemning women to have their wings clipped by society’s standards. In this way, beyond her personality, Mrs. Wright becomes even more synonymous with the canary, an estranged creature confined behind bars as an aesthetic spectacle that is unable to sing an independent song.

Betty Marie Tallcheif was born in 1925. As a child,she would always listen to her grandmother tales about being a Osage and her heritage.She suddenly found herself as a regular Indian girl shy, calm,introverted, and obiendent. Betty Marie started ballet lessons at the age of four years old. She suddenly found out that ballet was her thing.

Mrs. Wright lived her entire marriage alone, confined to a tiny house in the outskirts of town, with her only true companion a bird who sung to her, she loved that bird like it was her child. Mrs. Wright blamed her husband for her loneliness because he wouldn’t allow her to sing in church, have friends over, or have a telephone to even call people occasionally. Mr. Wright made her feel as though she was in solitary confinement in a prison this was not a home. At least she had her canary to keep her company, well until he took that away from her too.

In the novel The Bean Trees and the autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Barbara Kingsolver and Maya Angelou write their female characters to reject the traditional roles assigned to their gender when they show a more masculine character. With the support of strong mother-like figures, both Taylor and Maya, the protagonists, learn to avoid falling into the stereotype threat. Growing up, Maya’s grandmother Momma, was an exceptional model of a woman combating gender roles, as she owns property and is accountable for the family's financial and household needs. Likewise, Mattie, Taylor’s good friend, is also a strong independent woman who owns a business and cares for the refugees she shelters. Taylor and Maya both help support their

Betty Mae Jumper retells three Seminole legends: “Two Hunters”, “Alligator”, and “The Little Turtle and the Wolf”. In them she expresses an evident respect for nature among the characters. She makes it abundantly clear by presenting a value for animals, displaying the strengths of the underprivileged or weaker opponent, and exhibiting respect for each component that makes up the large body that is the environment.

Betty Marie Tallcheif changed her life forever when she decided she wanted to be a ballerina. In her career as a ballet dancer she discovered how to mix her heritage with her talents of dancing. If you didn’t already know her she is most famously known for her piece she did called, The FireBird. She achieved the unbelievable for her tribe and represents them well. She even received awards but that’s another story.

In the book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, there are several women who play very important roles in Marguerite Johnson’s life and development. Marguerite had three women in her life that educated and provided her with useful skills, information, security, religion and love. Momma, Mrs. Flowers, and Ma’ Dear are mother figures in Marguerite’s life who provide her with the necessities and strength to help her through life, Momma taught Marguerite about religion and cleanliness and was a good role model when it came to being strong and powerful, Mrs. Flowers introduced and provided Marguerite with literature and Ma’ Dear who is Marguerite biological mother wasn’t with her as she was growing but she still played a very

To begin, according to Rudin, S. (Producer), O’Neill, E. (Producer), Bush, E. (Producers) & Gerwig, G. (Director). (2017). Lady Bird [Motion picture]. The United States, the editing style in the film Lady Bird seemed to be more slow pace, but clear. Throughout the film, it shows Lady Bird’s life throughout high school and at home.

Before the mid to late 1900s, women, especially African American, were inferior to men. They were expected to do their work in the house and let the men do the hard labor to bring in the money. They were excluded from certain tasks and places either because they were colored or a woman. Many women during the time tried to change these standards and combat discrimination. In Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, the protagonist, Janie, goes through multiple marriages, each of which tells their own story and has their own obstacles. Throughout the book, the readers are able to see Janie’s transformation as a character and her female voice begins to be more prominent. In Maya Angelou’s autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya encounters multiple experiences that portray the racist time period. She lives with her grandmother, Momma, and both the these women are greatly respected throughout the community. All these women overcome discrimination and shut down the patriarchal view of the time.