Who Is Maya Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings?

Angelou was born in Missouri in 1928. She spent most of her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, pre Civil Rights Movement with her grandmother and her older brother. Angelou is most known for writing the poem Caged Bird. In the first stanza about the caged bird, Angelou declares that the bird, “can seldom see through/ his bars of rage/ his wings are clipped and/ his feet are tied/ so he opens his throat to sing”(Caged Bird). Angelou uses the bird as a metaphor for oppressed African Americans during this time period; the bird is held back by a barrier, just like African Americans were held back by unjust laws, a corrupt legal system, and their white peers who saw them as inferior. Similar to the bird, Angelou felt held back by others, but she did not let the “bars of rage” hold her back from her potential so, like the bird, she “opened her throat to sing” and used her voice to protest for herself and those who could not advocate for themselves.

In “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, Maya Angelou uses her personal experiences growing up as an African American female to present her primary claim that even in trying times there is something to be grateful for. Angelou’s secondary claims are mainly comprised of stories from her upbringing as well as the description of her grandmother’s attitude even though they are living through times of extreme poverty. In Each of the stories she speaks of one circumstance that seems completely unbearable but yet ends with some sort of light at the end of the tunnel. This structure can also be seen in her description of her grandmother’s outlook on life. By formatting her essay in this way, Angelou is able to develop pathos as well as ethos with the audience.

Angelou began to believe that her words hurt others, and became a mute for 5 years after the rape. Piccotti 4: Angelou spoke to no one. Not even her brother, though. Angelou’s mother became so frustrated with her daughter’s silence that she sent Angelou and her brother back to Stamps. Later in her life, when she was 15, she became pregnant.

For example, “ In Ghana she joined a community of "Revolutionist Returnees” exploring pan-Africanism and became close with human rights activist and black nationalist leader Malcolm X. In 1964, on returning to the U.S., she helped him set up the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which disbanded after Malcolm X’s assassination the following year” (“Maya Angelou Biography”). She took risks and went through a lot, so that black people would get their rights and be treated equal and she didn’t care what it would have cost her, she got into some dangerous things. She had a lot of dedication to her work and worked hard to not only herself but for other rights. If she believed in something she made sure that it would came to existence. Additionally, she worked hard on books and movies that soon became recognized for her work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which made literary history as the first nonfiction best-seller by an African-American woman.

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.

After testifying against Freeman, Angelou’s Uncles beat the man to death. Angelou was sure that Freeman’s death was her fault. Angelou believed her words killed people, this was why she became mute for nearly 5 years after the trial. After the Court trial and Murder of Freeman, Maya and brother, Bailey; were sent back home their grandmothers.

The main purpose of Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is to recount the early life of Maya Angelou, through the eyes of her childhood. The book shows how her testimony marks the beginning of a new era: how racism and segregation helped her become a voice for the problems of our time, especially for women. As a child, thinking of herself as a fat black girl trapped in a twisted reality, she internalized that blonde hair and white skin were beautiful. She was raised in Stamps, Arkansas, a place so segregated that she believed white people were only a figment of the black imagination: “In Stamps the segregation was so complete that most Black children didn’t really, absolutely know what whites looked like” (25). As she grew older, she was continually a victim of discrimination: in a power play, her white boss shortened her name, Marguerite, to Mary. Angelou saw that move as demeaning, the way one would treat a pet animal. Furthermore, a white dentist refused to treat her because of her skin color: “Now, my policy is I don’t treat colored people,” said Dentist Lincoln (188). These two experiences helped Angelou realize how disgusting people could be.

The most traumatic incident in Angelou's early life, being raped by her mother's boyfriend, and her reaction to the horror of the experience by refusing to talk for the next five years is also included. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ends with the birth of Angelou's son, Guy, which she believes may have saved her life (Kuhlman).In her book she also shared on how being a victim of sexual assault caused her to lose her voice and thanks to that she became the writer that she was. Angelou's braveness to share one of her most hardest moments in her life inspire millions of women to fight for

She stopped talking for a number of years because of the guilt and shame that she felt. After a lack of voice in her childhood, Angelou is now able to develop it in her own autobiography. This tragic event written in her

Moreover, Angelou's grandmother assisted in the development of her pride and self-confidence. This early development of her pride and of her self-confidence helped construct the character of Maya Angelou. Sadly, at the age of eight she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend while on a short visit to St. Louis. This issue led to her refusing to speak for approximately 4 years. Instead of her expressing her thoughts verbally, she would express them through her writing.

While the Angelou is sitting listening to his speech, she starts to give up and get down on herself, "It was awful to be Negro and have no control over my life" (839). Angelou felt she and her classmates were being told what their destinies held; they were to be maids, farmers, maybe athletes, but never anything more. She even starting giving up on the human race as a whole, "As a species, we were an abomination" (839). She wasn't focusing

Maya Angelou is a literary genius, receiving both a Pulitzer Prize nomination and Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor bestowed to U.S. civilians. Additionally, Angelou made history as an award winning actress, dancer, screenwriter, editor, poet, author and civil rights leader. In spite of a difficult childhood, she transcended her impoverished Arkansas roots and went on to pen more than 36 books, with 30 bestsellers, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is arguably the most famous. Perhaps her greatest work is not the books she authored, but the millions of lives she touched. Through her commitment to civil rights, she worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and served on two presidential committees. Undoubtedly,

Maya Angelou, who was the first African-American to work in the San Francisco streetcars, accomplished many things in her life. This fact proves that Angelou was a woman who believed in doing what needs to be done in order to accomplish her goals. Angelou made an influence on the world with her books and poems that related to diverse people in different situations, but most importantly, she fought for African-American right in the early and middle 1900s.

Maya Angelou was inspirational and helpful to others. She has helped people to look at themselves and other people in different, better ways. Angelou also had a joyful and loving personality. She was very engaged in everything that she did (Hoffert). Along with her outstanding personality and inspiration to others, Angelou was helpful. She helped people from many nations and bridged divides between races. This was such an admirable trait that a residence hall at Wake Forest University was named after Angelou (Kennedy). It has been said by Toni Morrison that she was there when you need it the most. Morrison has a firsthand experience with this because Angelou was the first person not in the family to call when Morrison’s son died (Hoffert).

The poem “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou tells the story of two birds: one bird has the luxury of freedom and the second bird lives its life caged and maltreated by an unknown tyrant. Maya Angelou wrote this poem during the Civil Rights Era, the period when black activists in the 1950’s and 1960’s fought for desegregation of African Americans. This poem parallels the oppression that African Americans were fighting during this time period. In “Caged Bird”, Angelou builds a strong contrast that shows the historical context of discrimination and segregation through the use of mood, symbolism, and theme.