I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Summary
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
Can you imagine living the life of a coming-of-age, southern black girl during the years of 1930 - 1950? Maya Angelou shares her childhood, being both joyous and painful, in her autobiographical novel, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and how she has confronted challenges in her life such as racism and segregation, sexism, violence, loneliness, and more. She has written it in the first person, as most traditional autobiographies, and provides a summary of her life in chronological order during the years covered. All the stories Maya has shared as a child has had a great impact on her adult life.
Maya Angelou, born in 1928, with her older brother, born 1 year before, was with their parents in St. Louis, Missouri until their parents divorced. They were then sent off to live with their grandmother, later called Momma, and Uncle Willie in Stamps, Arkansas. Both Bailey and Maya struggle with the abandonment of their parents. In addition, Maya suffers with self-esteem issues, feeling as not being measured up to other black children, and most certainly not white children. Racism is a huge difficulty in the south, and young Maya is aware of all the lynchings that come about.
At the age of 8, Maya’s father, which she has no recollection of, takes her and her brother away from their grandmother to live with their mother, Vivian, in St. Louis. Vivian has a boyfriend, Mr.Freeman, who stays at the house all night waiting for Vivian to return. Maya pities Mr.Freeman for this, and also because Mr.Freeman, as Maya describes, has breasts like deflated female breasts. Soon, Maya starts sleeping with Vivian and Mr.Freeman at night because she has nightmares. One morning, after Vivian has left the house and gone to work, Mr.Freeman sexually assaults her. He does not rape her, but rather touches himself on the bed while holding Maya close to him. Later, he threatens Maya that if she tells anyone, he will kill Bailey. Maya, however, is very
Can you imagine living the life of a coming-of-age, southern black girl during the years of 1930 - 1950? Maya Angelou shares her childhood, being both joyous and painful, in her autobiographical novel, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and how she has confronted challenges in her life such as racism and segregation, sexism, violence, loneliness, and more. She has written it in the first person, as most traditional autobiographies, and provides a summary of her life in chronological order during the years covered. All the stories Maya has shared as a child has had a great impact on her adult life.
Maya Angelou, born in 1928, with her older brother, born 1 year before, was with their parents in St. Louis, Missouri until their parents divorced. They were then sent off to live with their grandmother, later called Momma, and Uncle Willie in Stamps, Arkansas. Both Bailey and Maya struggle with the abandonment of their parents. In addition, Maya suffers with self-esteem issues, feeling as not being measured up to other black children, and most certainly not white children. Racism is a huge difficulty in the south, and young Maya is aware of all the lynchings that come about.
At the age of 8, Maya’s father, which she has no recollection of, takes her and her brother away from their grandmother to live with their mother, Vivian, in St. Louis. Vivian has a boyfriend, Mr.Freeman, who stays at the house all night waiting for Vivian to return. Maya pities Mr.Freeman for this, and also because Mr.Freeman, as Maya describes, has breasts like deflated female breasts. Soon, Maya starts sleeping with Vivian and Mr.Freeman at night because she has nightmares. One morning, after Vivian has left the house and gone to work, Mr.Freeman sexually assaults her. He does not rape her, but rather touches himself on the bed while holding Maya close to him. Later, he threatens Maya that if she tells anyone, he will kill Bailey. Maya, however, is very