I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou is a wonderfully glimpse into the life of a young African American girl in the 1920s. There are times of grief, abuse, and prejudice as well as celebrations of life and the joy of childhood. Maya is able to find courage and pride within herself and rise above many negative factors beginning at a very young age. She is able to seek solace and comfort with her strong yet untraditional family structure, especially her brother Bailey. Maya shows inner strength that is not always so easily attainable and carries it with her into her teenage and adult years, and by doing so she continues to build her own self-worth. Marguerite was three years old and Bailey was four when they were sent to live …show more content…
Day after day she would go to the office and wait longingly for an interview. She refused to give up on her dream to become a valuable part of her community and start her independence. Although it was years since she lived with her grandmother in Stamps, she carried with her bravery, pride, and a value system that was so strongly instilled within her as a child. Her mother supported her decision and provided unconditional support. “Life is going to give you just what you put in it. Put your whole heart in everything you do, and pray.” (pg. 269) Through her relentless determination and perseverance, she finally landed a job as the first female African American streetcar conductor. I would recommend this book to be read in high school or college. There a many life lessons to be learned and interpreted through her writing. I believe one of the strongest principles is never giving up. When raised with such strong values and morals, and fully devoting yourself to education, anything is possible. To give up and crumble under the weight of life is easy; its determination, standing up for what you believe in, and believing in yourself that is
Storytelling helps other people to emotionally connect themselves to the author so that they know they are not the only ones who are experiencing a painful or exciting experience, and are able to share the same emotions. It often helps other people to know what they should do in order to get over it when it comes to a painful experience. Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings explores the life of Maya Angelou and the struggles she has been throughout her childhood to her adulthood. Richard Wagemese’s Indian Horse explores the life of Saul Indian Horse and the struggles he has been through after departing from his family. The power of storytelling can unfold questions which ask the audience of how and why are the events are unfold the
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, an autobiographical novel written by Maya Angelou, was published in the year 1969. The novel follows Maya as a young girl facing challenges such as racism and sexism following the civil rights movement. While reading the book, the reader is introduced to events in history such as the Great Depression and World War II.
Congratulating All Women In the impactful novels I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, both authors set out to tell the story of women learning to obtain their voice when facing a society that deems them as unworthy. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is an exquisite memoir about the unforgettable events of Maya Angelou, set in Stamps, Alabama in the 1930s. It follows Angelou’s life from childhood to young adulthood, growing up as a minority, and never being fully considered.
African Americans living in the south face a lot of hate and prejudice. The civil rights movement improved the lives of many blacks. Maya Angelou in her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, uncovers the racism that blacks face and how Maya begins to think she is less equal that whites.
Maya Angelou is a leader by example, she sets the standard by her actions and the stories she tells teaches the audience a lesson. Majority of her work is to inform us of the past and she wants us to learn from her experiences in life; she is a life teacher. The purpose of this poem was to inform us of the history of our country. The poem is titled “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” and her purpose of writing this is to teach the reader why the caged bird sings. Maya Angelou wants to put the reader in her shoes to get the ultimate experience of racial inequality but instead by taking the role of a caged bird or a free bird.
Without significant, strong people in the world, the earth would be no longer here. People would not survive and the world would be in chaos. Because of this, the people who do good for the world are treasured and kept close. In the biography Harriet Tubman: Guide to Freedom by Ann Petry and the autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, two extraordinary women are revealed in the text. While Harriet is a former slave with little experience in the real world but with a heart filled with bravery, Mrs. Flowers is petite and full of willpower to strive to success.
The characters in the novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings were affected by both society and family. In the south at the time, African-Americans were defined as housemaids/servants, unintelligent, and barbaric. Maya Angelou stepped outside of the negative stereotype by using her intelligence and persevering through tough times. While Maya lacked the physical appearance of the rest of her family, she excelled at school and in her studies. During the novel, Maya realized that she did not need to conform to society’s ideals to be successful. Bailey Johnson Jr. faced pressure from society to be a supportive brother even though he really wanted to be more like his masculine father.
Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya shields herself against the confusion of St. Louis by reading fairy-tales and telling herself that she does not intend on staying there anyway. Vivian works in a gambling parlor at night. Maya pities Mr. Freeman because he spends his days at home waiting for Vivian to return. Maya begins sleeping at night with Vivian and Mr. Freeman because she suffers from nightmares. One morning after Vivian has left the bed and the house,
Throughout her life, Marguerite experiences many different situations and people that all contribute to the way she grows up and the person she becomes. Despite some of her tragic circumstances, she learns a lot growing up, mainly because of the African-American women in her life who teach her all different life lessons. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Marguerite gets to absorb teachings from her mother (Vivian), Mrs. Bertha Flowers, and her grandmother (Momma). These women allow Marguerite to learn and grow as an African-American female, all while paving her own way.
In Maya Angelou’s I Know the Caged Bird Sings (1969), the reader is absorbed into a personal account of her life starting from her childhood to young adulthood during the 1930s and 1940s. From a young age, Maya witnessed the first-hand effects of racism in the South for blacks growing up alongside her brother, Bailey. In the novel, Angelou faces racial discrimination and displacement inside and outside her own community that act as metaphorical cages barring her from the freedom to be her true self.
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is a novel by Maya Angelou, where she writes about her childhood and her experiences while growing up. This non-fiction novel illustrates Maya Angelou’s childhood, being tossed around by her parents, and having to experience different cultures. Maya struggles particularly in finding friends, she is reserved, and will only open up to Bailey, her brother. Maya moves a couple of times to different places, which may contribute to her not having friends. The novel revolves around Maya Angelou, Bailey, and her grandmother, evolving through life from being a child to a teenager. This novel is set in the “South”, in America.
I chose Child Abuse as my topic because I feel bad for the children who suffer from getting abused in different types of ways. These children are also scared to tell someone because of the threats they get. I read I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing, by Maya Angelou for this unit because her story was very inspiring, because she didn’t let her past destroy her future of becoming who she was before she passed away in May of 2014. Studies have shown that “34% of people who sexually abuse a child are family members” (Invisible Children). This quote relates to my topic Maya was sexually abused by a family member. In the novel, Angelou helps readers realize the impact of victims who suffer child abuse.
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Specifically it will discuss the themes of racism and segregation, and how these strong themes are woven throughout this moving autobiography. Maya Angelou recounts the story of her early life, including the racism and segregation she experiences throughout her formative years. With wit, sincerity, and remarkable talent, Angelou portrays racism as a product of ignorance and prejudice. However, she finds the strength to rise above this crippling condition.
“I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” was a fascinating and charming autobiography by none other than myself, Maya Angelou. My book was about my hard life growing up as a black girl in the south. The word “Cages” are known as the hardships. “Cages” are the things that keep humans from accomplishing in life and helping them being everything they want to be. Some of my cages includes me being black in the 1940’s and my dictatorial grandmother.
Welcome, today we will be taken on a journey by deconstructing and analysing the poem "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou. This poem explores the theme of Oppression which illustrates the nature of helicopter parenting upon today's youth. We will include a contemporary source which likewise explores this challenging youth issue. Essentially, this poem displays the damage that helicopter parenting can have on a child’s youth, oppressing them, taking their childhood away from them.