Caged Bird Sings

In this, Angelou remarks “Anything that works against you can also work for you once you understand the Principle of Reverse.” This would show that despite all the negativity surrounding Angelou’s skin colour, she had the ability to succeed, as everything that went against her, pushed her into being a woman with the knowledge of struggle and hardship. As a result, Angelou exclaimed that she was “the master of my fate” and “the captain of my soul” showing Angelou’s power to decide her fate. Similarly, with the introduction of Mrs. Flowers, Angelou found her identify stating “I was respected not as Mrs. Henderson’s grandchild or Bailey’s sister but for just being Marguerite Johnson.” Subsequently, Angelou was no longer what her oppressors wanted her to be, but was herself. Altogether, this sense of newfound identity by Angelou displayed her individuality, showing the audience the most important aspect of one’s self, is what they believed they were, and to Angelou, she was simply Marguerite.

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.

The inequality of women is also vital in the novel written by Maya Angelou, “I know why the caged bird sings” a powerful and truly moving autobiography “written at the end of the civil right struggles in the 1960’s” (8). The reception of the novel was incredible, it is the most highly acclaimed of her autobiographies, making Angelou “one of the most renowned black women in America” (9). Maya Angelou describes her “caged life as a black girl growing up in the south” (10), her lost youth, the dangers of innocence and need for emotional and physical affection, “I had given up some youth for knowledge, but my gain was more valuable than the loss” (5). In the 1920’s and 1940’s, America was separated by discrimination and prejudice not only between

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.

In the book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, by Maya Angelou the main character is Marguerite Ann Johnson (Maya). She is portrayed as a mature young girl suffering from the traumatic events associated with being a black female in America. She is said to be a smart and imaginative person. Maya felt that people judge her unfairly due to her awkward appearance. She fantasized that she actually was a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl trapped in a “black ugly dream” and would soon wake up and reveal her true identity. She faced three obstacles in the south white prejudice, black inability, and female subjugation.

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.

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.

Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is an emotional coming of age autobiography set in the nineteen thirties – forties, focusing on her struggle with self-acceptance, insecurities, and prejudices. This journey is vastly explored throughout the United States such as, Arkansas, St. Louis, California, and even outside of the U.S. like Mexico. She travels with her brother to visit different members of their family, with each location having a story to tell. When she is three years old, she and her brother, Bailey, are sent to stamps with their grandmother after their parents got divorced. Notoriously in the South, segregation and racism is omnipresent. Here Maya is brought up by “Mama”, her grandmother. The siblings understandably feel abandoned by their parents after realizing they weren’t dead like they’d coaxed themselves to believe.

In “Champion of the planet,” AN excerpt from her life story, i do know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou presents U.S.A. with the portrait of a rural African-American community within the Forties, those that the world riveted to the broadcast of the heavyweight world championship match. The contenders ar a white competition and therefore the black champion, the good Joseph Louis Barrow. On the surface it's simply a sporting event, however at a lower place the surface their fate as nation looks to ride on whether or not the champion loses or another time prevails.

“You are a piece of the puzzle of someone else life. You may never know where you fit, but others will fill the holes in their lives with pieces of you” (Bonnie Arbon). In the novel, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, the protagonist, Maya Johnson, started off as a young African American girl who was diffident and self hating, and who later transforms into a confident, grown young women. There are various reasons that cause characters change however the most common are due to the additional characters/ people they choose to surround themselves around throughout life. Maya Johnson goes through this grand transformation based on the values that her “Mama” (Annie Henderson), brother (Bailey Johnson Jr.) and her mother (Vivian

In Maya Angelou’s I know why the caged Bird Sings Maya goes from being a very young and sporadic girl to a loving and nurturing mother. Throughout Maya’s life she goes through many trials and tribulations. By finding refuge and strength in her family she surpasses racism, rape, and displacement issues.

“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.” In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, Maya writes about how she is affected by cultural and contextual issues in that time period , in this book Angelou familiarizes her self as a caged bird because to Maya Being caged in society means to be trapped and unable to find your voice. “The caged bird sings with a fearful trill, of things unknown, but longed for still, and his tune is heard on the distant hill, for the caged bird sings of freedom.” Angelou wrote this book as closure for her life experiences. She wrote this book to have a voice that she once did not have. This book exposes the issues that African-Americans faced . Society viewed African- Americans differently then we do today. The 1930s was all about being prejudice against the black community even today that is less of

I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings is about racism and sexism and about the early years of Maya Angelou how she had to overcome the criticism, loosing her parents going to live in Stamps, Arkansas with strangers that she got to know later on. This book explores racism, sexism, insecurity, poverty, and abuse Maya Angelou started to fight back and become stronger than she was when the book previously began. She is a strong black African-American woman who teaches women about the poverty, hard-times slavery how black people where treated, we were treated unequally whites were overruling us we had to take orders from them.

Once returning to Stamps, silent and traumatized, Marguerite meets Mrs. Bertha Flowers. Marguerite discusses her as “the aristocrat of Black Stamps.” (93) Marguerite looks up to Mrs. Flowers in many ways. She is beautiful and sophisticated and according to Marguerite, Mrs. Flowers “has remained throughout my life the measure of what a human being can be.” (94) Mrs. Flowers took Marguerite under her wing and into her home. She shared her books with her and allowed Marguerite to read from them, spend time with her, enjoy cookies, and lemonade, all while bringing her back from her silent ways after her rape. She encouraged Marguerite to be “intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy” as not everyone had the ability or luxury to become educated. (99) Marguerite was in awe of

Maya Angelou describes what her life with her grandmother is like while constantly being discriminated against her race. She then found her father, and he leaves Maya and Bailey off to their mother’s house. There, the mother’s boyfriend rapes Maya. After suffering from psychological shock, Maya then moves back to her grandmother’s. As a teenager Maya gets nervous about her sexual identity and tries to discover it. Through these harsh times, the naïve and softhearted Maya grows to become a strong, independent woman.