I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Essay

Although Maya saw her biological relation with Bailey Sr. as nonexistent, she viewed Daddy Clidell, “one more faceless name added to Mother’s roster of conquests,” as her true father figure. With Bailey Sr., Maya felt uncomfortable around him, usually speechless when they were alone together, unless spoken to. She established him to be an outsider, not true to his culture, and hid from his responsibilities. He showed no affection, just talent for reeling the oblivious in. On the contrary, with Daddy Clidell, Maya felt welcomed and appreciated, valued enough to be told the heroic tales of conning the con artists, winning “over the powerful, arrogant white.” Daddy Clidell brought the “shoulders of laughter.” He was gregarious, while

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.

There are many events that can occur to people that will change their lives tremendously. Racism plays a big part in Cassie Logan’s life and it changes her character throughout the novel as she grows in her understanding of inequality. As the narrator and protagonist of the novel, Cassie’s perspective is captivated very closely with the help of the other character’s conversations. At such a young age she is very naïve about certain situations but learns how things really are throughout the novel. As she is growing up she experiences many situations of racism in the American South, but there is one event that she would never forget. The day that Cassie Logan is made to apologize to Lillian Jean Simms for bumping into her is the event that had the greatest impact on her character.

In I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Momma and Maya who take on the role of being single mothers. Momma raises Maya like a single mother, even though in reality she is her grandmother. Maya learns from Momma how to be a single mother. Kingsolver and Angelou both believe that the stereotype of gender roles does not hold up by showing us that women can be self providers, just as well as men can.

Maya’s upbringing as a child is very parallel to Taylor’s because she is raised by her grandma, whom she calls Momma, without an affective paternal figure in her life. As a child, Maya sees that her grandma successfully raised her and her brother on her own. Momma owns a shop in their town called, The Store and she runs it generally by herself. She makes an effort to protect Maya and Bailey from being mistreated in society because when the dentist refuses to attend to Maya’s needs, Momma tells the dentist, “I wouldn’t go press on you like this for myself but I can’t take No. Not for my grandbaby” (Caged Bird 189). Momma asserts her power in demanding service for her granddaughter and shows Maya that she is strong and possesses the power to be successful in society and overpower a male in some circumstances. Maya watches her grandma in this situation and instantly categorizes her as a powerful woman and looks up to her even more now. Maya visualizes her Momma as a form of a hero because, “Momma had obliterated the evil white man” (Caged Bird 191), because she stood up to the white dentist that is seen as evil in her family’s eyes. Maya then realizes that Momma is one of the more powerful black women in society that is able to stand up to the white race when the blacks are mistreated. Maya can then exert her

As Maya was living with Mrs.Annie Henderson, Maya and her brother learned family values. Every night before Maya and Bailey Jr. went to bed , Mrs. Annie Henderson and their Uncle Willie made sure their homework was done , their prayers were said, and their feet were washed (Liandrelli 19).”It was her older brother Bailey Johnson Jr. who had given Marguerite her name when he refused to call her Marguerite, but addressed her as Mya sister , then My, and finally Maya (14). Growing up, Maya had a good education and learned all she needed to , then she went to

Communication and expression of emotions is imperative when overcoming a hardship such as rape. However, upon being informed that Mr. Freeman had been murdered, Grandma Baxter immediately makes it clear that she “never wants to hear this situation nor that evil man’s name … again” (87). Maya quickly comprehends that she must never speak of her adversity, even with her trusted family. Oppressing emotions and discussion of the topic can only worsen the suffering, particularly for a young girl like Maya. It is evident that Maya is severely depressed and confused, her extended period of silence indicates this in her memoir. Once back in Stamps, Maya was uncertain whether her family “had been told about the incident in St. Louis”(91). Maya and those around her, including Bailey, simply cut out the part of her life in which she had been raped. Her adversity was “swept under the carpet” by her family and her most trusted individuals. This neglection results in Maya beginning to feel a new impression of loneliness, and a further deterioration of her

As a result of the size of Stamps, and the people that inhabited the town, there was very little you could do without the whole town knowing. Throughout Maya Angelou’s and Bailey’s childhood they were constantly limited by the narrow-minded town and in San Francisco they gained the freedom to expand their minds. In San Francisco they left Momma’s disciplined ways and benefited from Vivian’s laid back ways. Considering this independence that they children were given, they reacted well and due to it, they realized who they were as a person and were able to

The real reasons behind Marguerite and Bailey returning to California were that Momma was concerned for the children’s wellbeing and wanted to prevent things from escalating. Without outwardly expressing her emotions, Momma worries when Bailey explains the story of carrying a dead Negro man into a calaboose, where he was temporarily locked in. Bailey, too shocked to comprehend, could not see Momma’s anxiety as she frantically asked who the white man was that had smiled at the deceased man’s body. Before this event, Momma had shown no signs of wanting to leave the calming environment of Arkansas for the hustle and bustle of busy San Francisco, but as Bailey concluded his tale, Maya says that Momma had “pieced together the plans for

At this point, Bailey has become rebellious towards their mother. Bailey eventually gets kicked out of the house. After, Maya feels something missing in her life, so she gets a job as the first black railway conductor in San Francisco. Then, Maya becomes confused about her sexuality and feels the need to prove that she is straight by having sex

“Sister Flowers” is a story of a black aristocrat that Maya idolized that brought her to be the women she is today. In the story, Maya is informing the reader of how a woman named Mrs. Flowers broke her silence and introduced her to a new found love of literature. Mrs. Flowers was a beautiful black women who carried herself with grace and elegance during a time where this was not normal for a black one. Mrs. Flowers was perfect in Maya’s eyes, and Maya was flattered by the interest Mrs. Flowers had in her. The women explained to Maya that every story has a voice, and to be silenced you will never feel the story that needed to be told. Maya tells a beautiful story of where her journey begins through a he descriptive language and tone.

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

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.

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,

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.