Why Is Maya Angelou Essay

The life experiences of the late Maya Angelou —author, poet, actress, singer, dancer, playwright, director, producer — became the key element of her most prominent work, a lyrical poet telling the stories of what it means to be an African American; having a wide range, multi-series autobiographies that lays the foundation of her identity as a American black woman. The acclaimed Maya Angelou’s legacy not only impacted American culture that will resonate with people through history, but create insight to a whole new world.

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.

In the memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, late author Maya Angelou chronicles her experiences in the early stages of her life. The book explains the hardships, prejudices as well as the tragedies she went through as a child living in the deep South during the segregation era. Angelou gradually tells her life story in first person perspective as a child, tween, and eventual teen. Over the course of her life she gains knowledge and perspective which eventually leads to her desire to be become an author and poet.

A strong and influential memoirist is able to to grasp the reader’s attention and dive into topics bigger than themselves. Maya Angelou, the author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, embodies what it takes to neither be a hero nor a victim as she recollects her past. Growing up, Maya Angelou not only suffered from white prejudice and female gender inequality, she was presented with a feeling of powerlessness.

Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Johnson, the author of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” details her coming of age experience. Maya faces the ever rampant oppression in the deep south which impacted her dearly in her childhood. She lives in the lower class and wasn’t given many opportunities to succeed. In the duration of this paper I will explain how Maya Angelou was effected by racial differences and her socioeconomic position and how she used them to mold her.

The speech tested Maya Angelou’s pride, causing to question her motives and choices. The Variations of Maya Angelou’s pride throughout her graduation, demonstrates that the power of choice can overcome many obstacles of life. Maya Angelou’s accomplishments feed her self-worth. She delights in her dedication to work: “My work alone had awarded me a top place

Her life was never easy. From the time she was born, Maya Angelou was subjected to racism, rape, grief and dehumanization. She beared enough emotional stress in a time frame that most people don't experience in a lifetime. Yet she prevailed. She forced herself to become stronger.

Maya Angelou describes her noteworthy life in her Memoir; I know why the Caged Bird Sings. In her memoir, Maya uses several literary devices to capture the audience’s attention and explain the traumatic events in her life. Maya recollects the events in her life and allows her audience to experience all of her hardships. In the 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou uses metaphors and similes to explain the struggles of growing up as a black woman in a sexist and racist society. Through the use of the literary devices, Angelou stimulates a feeling of empathy in her audience and the reader is able to connect to Maya’s suffering.

In Maya Angelou’s autobiographical book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, she reveals stories from her life. From humorous, to tragic, to inspiring, these stories reveal Angelou’s life to readers. Throughout the book, readers are taken from place to place learning about how Angelou grows from a small child hates herself to a young woman who has found where she belongs in the world. Through her life experiences, Maya Angelou finds her identity by not allowing life to overpower her but to empower her.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou is an inspiring story about a young black girl, Marguerite, growing up in Stamps, Arkansas. She and her brother, Bailey, were raised by their grandmother while their parents lived in Saint Louis, Missouri. Marguerite must learn how to get what she wants in a world when its all about the white race of people. This novel explains racial injustice from a girl who endured many incidents of it.

Maya Angelou is one of the most influential and talented African American writers of our modern day. Those who read Angelou‘s works should not pass the thought of where her influence came from. Maya Angelou’s work has been heavily affected by the era in which she began to write. The fifties and sixties were a tumultuous time for most African-Americans in the US. The civil-rights movement, led by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Urban League, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, was instrumental in securing legislation, notably the Civil-Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Maya Angelou, both the writer and protagonist of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, spent the majority of her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas in the wake of her parent’s divorce at the age of three. She, along with her older brother, lived with their grandmother (Annie Henderson), whom they call Momma, at the only black store in the segregated town of Stamps. Annie later became a big influence in her life and helped her develop self-confidence and pride.

While reading I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings during the summer, I was engrossed by the way Maya Angelou depicted the horrors she faced growing up during segregation in USA. Her voice rang raw throughout the book as she unearthed the truth about discrimination and rape.

The book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is a very moving story, and a big perspective changer. This story is an autobiography of Marguerite "Maya" Johnson also known as Maya Angelou. She wrote the story in elaborate detail, gave her view on how it really was back then, and showed how prejudice people really were. Maya Angelou's story took place in the 1930's - 1950'si Southern California. She told her story in a child’s point of view an later as an adult’s perspective. The style in which she wrote the book was amusing, sorrowful, and personal all combined.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou is an autobiography. That tells the story of Maya, from her childhood to her adolescence, and how she deals with oppression and racism in her life. The book tells the struggle of not only being African American during segregation, but being a woman too. A wide range of events happen in this book that deal with racism, abuse, and sexism. The title of this book came from a poem “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar that describes the little freedom a bird has in a cage, so all they can do is use their voice for some sympathy. This is similar to Maya. In Spite of the struggles she experiences, and because of incredible, inspiring, and influential people in her life, she learns the power of one’s voice.