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I know why the caged bird sings - Maya Angelou Commentary

2002-03-02T13:00:00-05:00

Life in Stamps, Alabama is very difficult and callous for the Negro people. The Negroes must work long hours at ridiculously low pay just to survive, and often it just was not enough. Angelou explains in the early chapters of I know why the caged bird Sings, just how hard life in Stamps is and how her people are able cope. Angelou conveys this so that the reader will have a greater understanding of what the times she lived in were like; she is also trying to teach us about the circumstances in which her people worked and the spirit that they demonstrated. By describing this, Angelou further enhances the flow of her plot, helping the reader to realize just how oppressed and hopeless life was for the Negro people. Also, Angelou’s recollection of the ‘common workday’ contributes to the tone of soft subtleness set in the early chapters, of the small community of Stamps. There are many different devices that Angelou uses to communicate her message. Angelou uses figurative language to bring the reader to further understand the point she is trying to make. Angelou has strong use of onomatopoeia, at the beginning of the annotated passage, she wrote “The lamplight in the store gave a soft make believe feeling to our world which made me want to whisper...” By saying that she wanted to ‘whisper’ she further expresses that the delicate light given off by the lamplight is subtle and with the use of the word whisper and because of the way that is pronounced, the word ‘whisper’ was used very effectively in this sentence. Another example is in the paragraph that states “The sound of the new morning had been replaced with grumbles…” the use of the word ‘grumbles’ is very effective because it gives the reader a sense of the discontentment that the cotton pickers experienced at the end of the day. Also, the most powerful use of onomatopoeia is at the end when Angelou wrote, “I winced to picture them sewing the coarse material…” The fact that she winced definitely makes the reader realize the determination and pain the Negroes went through just to make something of themselves. Angelou uses powerful diction, her choice of words is strong and the way they are used proves very effective in grabbing the reader’s interest. Angelou stated “In those tender mornings the Store…” The use of the word tender is

Rape from I know why the caged bird sings

2001-05-03T14:00:00-04:00

“I take a look through the bars at the last sights of a world that has gone very wrong for me. Can it be there’s some sort of error? It’s hard to stop the surmounting terror. Is it really the end, not some crazy dream? Somebody please tell me that I'm dreaming. It's not so easy to stop from screaming, but words escape me when I try to speak. Tears, they flow, but why am I crying? I don't believe that there is never an end to the nightmare.” Humans never stop to think what the consequences of our behavior will be. We go about day after day, too preoccupied with unimportant things that we never stop to think what the result of our irresponsible actions will be. We have not jet come to realize that life is like a pond, cast a stone into the water and you won’t prevent the ripple effect. For the crime of grand auto theft, I hereby sentence you, to 7 years in the state penitentiary. The guard’s approached, handcuffed Alex, and took him away. The judge made his decision and there is no turning back . Alex, would be spending seven years in jail for a foolish decision he made trying to impress his “friends.” Alex could only think off how he would not be able to do all the things he loved to do. For years, he had enjoyed car racing and his biggest passion consisted of rebuilding old cars. “I brought out the beauty in something that was just sitting there”, Alex stated with a big smile on his face. How could Alex imagine the horror that awaited him behind the stone walls of prison? How could he imagine that within the stone walls he would become just another victim of rape? Alex could not have expected that while in jail he would be viciously gang raped. Nothing in the world could have prepared Alex for the burden he would carry for the rest of his life. “It was about fifteen years ago that I was sentenced to seven years to the State Pen. Those years are the years that I have tried and will continue to try to erase from my memory. I suppose I should tell you how I got myself into this horrible mess. My friends, or so I thought,” Alex stated with an almost sad smile on his face,

I know why the Caged Bird Sings

2001-03-08T13:00:00-05:00

In the autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the main character Marguerite, is influenced by a great deal of characters including Bailey Jr. , Momma Henderson, and Mrs. Bertha Flowers. One of the primary induces is her older brother Bailey Jr. Momma or Annie Henderson, the Grandmother, also played an important role for Maya. Additionally to those two characters, is Mrs. Flowers, the black aristocrat of Stamps. All in all, these three characters played important roles in the development of Marguerite through her juvenile years. First, Bailey Jr. serves as the most important role in the protagonists’s young life. In the novel, Maya quickly states, “ I would be the major loser if Bailey turned up dead. For he was all I claimed, if not all I had.” Bailey is on year thet main character’s senior, however, it makes no difference for they both share many of the same interests, such as reading poems and playing games. Maya feels comfortable asking Bailey for advice, and therefore the central character trusts Bailey with all of her honest emotions. To sum up, Bailey gives immense confidence to Marguerite throughout their childhood together. Second, Annie Henderson influences her granddaughter as an all powerful role model. An example of this behavior is when “Momma”, takes Ritie to a white dentist and demands that he help her. He refuses to help them, therefore, Momma goes inside to speak with him; Ritie imagines this entire milieu where Momma has victory. Ritie is also amazed at how well Momma adjusts to Los Angeles after living all her life in the small town of Stamps, Arkansas. All in all, Momma plays an important role in Ritie’s up-bringing. Another powerful figure in the leading character’s life, is Mrs. Bertha Flowers, who gained trust from young lady. Mrs. Flowers was the first person to prod her out of her silence after being raped. The aristocrat made Angelou feel proud to be black under any circumstance. Mrs. Flowers loans her some books and assigns her the task of reading them aloud. She also requests that Angelou memorize a poem to recite it aloud. Finally, Mrs. Bertha Flowers gains the young childs respect by making the child feel important. In conclusion, Marguerite is influenced the most by these three characters: Momma Henderson, Bailey Jr., and Mrs. Bertha Flowers. First, Bailey because he nurtures and builds Maya’s confidence. Second, Momma Henderson because she raised

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

2001-03-05T13:00:00-05:00

1) Summary of Character Traits a) School smart (Maya is smart. When she moves to San Francisco from Stamps, Arkansas, she is skipped a grade.) b) Caring sister (she always talks of her devotion to Baily) c) Determined (she wants to get a job with the streetcar company and she keeps bugging them until they finally give her a job) d) Proud (she lives with the junkyard kids instead of going back to her father’s; she slaps Dolores for calling her mother a whore) 2) Appearance a) African American, tall, skinny, small and squinty eyes, big feet, large gap between her front teeth, black hair 3) What The Character Wants a) Maya wants, ultimately, for her family to be happy. She wants the segregation of blacks to end (she is disgusted when young white girls call her grandmother by her first name). 4) How the Character Changes a) After being raped, Maya stops talking as much b) After spending time living in the junkyard, Maya learns tolerance, which will help her through out her life. She matures from a young girl to a mother, as well. c) Becomes more mature once she gets her job with the street cars 5) Key Statements About the Character a) “Ritie, don’t worry ‘cause you ain’t pretty. Plenty of pretty women I seen digging ditches or worse. You smart. I swear to God, I rather you have a good mind than a cute behind.” (p.56) b) “In those moments I decided that although Baily loved me he couldn’t help. … I knew that because I loved him so much I could never hurt him” (p. 73) 6) Key Actions a) Father comes to Stamps and takes them to their mother b) Moves back to Stamps, then to SF c) Drives home from Mexico d) Slaps Dolores e) Stays with the junkyard people f) Gets pregnant 7) What Others Think Of the Character a) When they are younger, Baily really looks out for Maya. As they grow up, and after she spends time with her father, they drift apart. b) Her grandmother loves Maya very much, and knows that she is a very smart girl with a lot of potential. c) Her mother seems to care much more about her than her father did. Thesis Statement: Maya Angelou faces many hardships, yet manages to overcome them all, in her autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Maya Angelou faces many hardships, yet manages to overcome them all, in her autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Maya is a strong

I Know why the Caged Bird Sings

2001-03-02T13:00:00-05:00

In the autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the main character Marguerite Johnson, is influenced by a preponderance of characters including Bailey Jr. , Momma Henderson, and Mrs. Bertha Flowers. One of the primary influences is her older brother, Bailey Jr.. Momma, or Annie Henderson, the parental grandmother, also plays an important role for Maya. Additionally, Mrs. Flowers, the black aristocrat of Stamps, saves Maya during an especially difficult time. All in all, these three characters act as important roles in the development of Marguerite through her juvenile years. First, Bailey Jr. serves as the most significant role in the protagonist’s young life. In the novel, Maya distinguishably states, “ I would be the major loser if Bailey turned up dead. For he was all I claimed, if not all I had.” Bailey is one year senior to the main character, however, it makes no difference, for they both share many of the same interests, such as reading poems and playing games. When Angelou was eight, she and Bailey moved to St. Louis to live with their mother Vivian, and her mother’s boyfriend Mr. Freeman; soon after, Mr. Freeman sexually molests and rapes the young child; after such a horrid experience, the central character only speaks to Bailey who comforts and supports her. To sum up, Bailey gives much confidence to Marguerite throughout their childhood together. Second, Annie Henderson influences her granddaughter as an all powerful role model. For example, “Momma,” takes Ritie to a white dentist and demands that he help her, he refuses and says, “ Annie, my policy it I’d rather stick my hand in a dog’s mouth than in a niggar’s.” therefore; Momma goes inside to speak with him; Ritie imagines this entire milieu where Momma has victory. Ritie is also amazed at how well Momma adjusts to Los Angeles after living all her life in the small town of Stamps, Arkansas. All in all, Momma plays an important role in Ritie’s up-bringing. Another powerful figure in the leading character’s life is Mrs. Bertha Flowers, who gains trust from the young lady. Mrs. Flowers was the first person to prod Maya out of her silence after being painstakingly raped. The aristocrat makes Angelou feel proud to be black under any circumstances. Mrs. Flowers loans the main character several books and assigns her the task of reading them aloud; she also requests that Angelou memorize a poem

I know why the Caged Bird Sings

2001-02-28T13:00:00-05:00

Three primary problems “cage” Maya Angelou in her autobiographical book I Know why the Caged Bird Sings. The most pressing of these issues was probably the fact that Maya lived in the highly segregated south. Another factor of her imprisonment was because Maya, also known as Marguerite, was a social outcast, with very few friends other then relatives. Finally, the main character was entrapped because of her unusual sexual exposure. Over all, the highly segregated life she led, her exclusion socially, and her sexual experience caught Ms. Angelou. At the time, racism was predominate amongst southern citizens, this caused Maya’s displacement because she was a young black girl. Throughout the book Maya faces prejudice, and is constantly fighting this outrage, yet is not always winning. When Marguerite Johnson, nicknamed Ritie, was sixteen she became the first black streetcar operator in San Francisco, yet she had to fight incredibly hard to get her job. Even after she did her work schedule was impossible, and the free feeling she got from her job was turned against her at school, when she realized that her and her fellow classmates were, “on paths moving diametrically away from each other,” so even though Ritie had gotten the job she wanted, which she could have gotten easier had she been white, she was still an outcast. Furthermore, Marguerite, being Black, was denied certain necessities, such as not getting her toothache treated by the nearest dentist because he’d “rather stick my hand in a dog’s mouth then a nigger’s,” or have a white man imply that none of the black children were good enough to amount to anything on there graduation day. All in all, one reason Ms. Angelou locked up was because she was Black and lived in a time of segregation. Although Marguerite loved what few friends she had, she was a misfit, the fact of which contributed to her confinement. On page four Johnson says, “If growing up is painful for a Southern Black girl being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat,” despite the fact that Ritie could admit it or not, being a social pariah is situation that would make any girl feel as though the walls were closing in on her, and with Angelou this feeling was especially significant. Maya often wished the she would wake up as her “true self,” a beautiful white girl; on

I Know why the Caged Bird Sings: Chapter 25 Notes

2000-04-27T14:00:00-04:00

Chapter 25 1. In this chapter, Maya and Bailey are introduced to the idea of being moved to California, this being because of Bailey’s incident with a murdered black man. 2.a) In this chapter Maya Angelou gives us some more insight on Mamma’s character, she establishes the reason for Mamma’s secretive and over-protective nature “Her African-bush secretiveness and suspiciousness had been compounded by slavery and confirmed by centuries of promises made and promises broken. We have a saying among Black Americans, which explains Mamma’s caution. ‘ If you ask a Negro where he’s been, he’ll tell you where he’s going’” (Angelou 164). In this paragraph Maya Angelou lets us know why Negroes at that time were so shielding of their privacy and how this related to Mamma telling them a ‘part truth’ to cover up the ‘real truth’ for them being sent away. Maya effectively develops Mamma through the situation that occurred when Bailey came home in horror “ ‘ When I passed the calaboose, some men had just fished him out of the pond. He was wrapped in a sheet, all rolled up like a mummy, and then a white man walked over and pulled the sheet off. The man was on his back but the white man struck his foot under the sheet and rolled him over on the stomach.’” (Angelou 167). Mamma’s instinct told her to get those kids out of there, no child should have to witness the atrocity of a murdered body. “ Whatever the real reason, The Truth, for taking us to California, I shall always think it lay mostly in an incident in which Bailey had the leading part” (Angelou 165). Mamma’s action to get the children away solidifies the readers faith in her as being a strong, powerful and caring individual. c) A story that illustrates life in those times is Bailey’s incident by the river. This illustrates the racism and unfairness against Negroes, and the senseless violence against them. “Then a white man walked over and pulled the sheet off. The man was on his back but the white man stuck his foot under the sheet and rolled him over on the stomach… My, he had no color at all. He was bloated like a ball.” (Angelou 167) Any white person could kill a black person, and instead of being punished they were congratulated and given encouragement. Also, the black people had become desensitized so seeing their

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

1999-09-11T14:00:00-04:00

1. What Does Marguerite observe about the cotton pickers? She notices that their attitudes depend on the time of day. She says in the morning they are full of life and in the evening they are tired out and dismal from all the work. 2. Why do white people seem un-real to Marguerite? She said white people 's feet were too small, and their skin was see-through, and they walked on their heels, not on the balls of their feet. 3. Explain how their education in Stamps prepared Marguerite and Bailey. How is school different in St. Louis from the one they attended in Stamps? Marguerite and Bailey were prepared for school because of their education in Stamps. They learned arithmetic through working in their store and they said they read so much in Stamps because there was nothing else to do. They also said the schools were different because of their teachers.The teachers in Stamps, they said, were very formal they came imported from a Negro College in Arkansas. The teachers in St. Louis were very siddity they were very strict and had the same characteristics that white folk had. The walked with their knees together and their lips tight. 4. How does Ritie feel about Mr. Freeman's death? She said she felt guilty and had forfeited her place in heaven. She said she was pure evil,because she had lied about him in court and that this lie caused his death. 5. Why is Ritie so offended that she wants to quit working for Mrs. Cullinan? How does she get out of her job? Mrs. Cullinan calls Ritie not by her given name, Marguerite, but by the name of Mary, which annoys Ritie. She is fired after she intentionally breaks some of Mrs. Cullinan's valuable family dishes. 6. Tell what happens at Ritie's eighth grade graduation. Ritie is angered that white's only think that Negroes are only good for being athletes, maids, and other small jobs. She hates how blacks are supressed. 7. How is Miss Kirwin different from Ritie's other teachers? Ritie says Miss Kirwin was in love with information that she really wanted to share her knowledge. She also addressed the students as "ladies and gentlemen." 8. How has Bailey changed while Ritie was gone? Ritie's relationship with Bailey is weakening. Bailey has started to hang out with other groups. He does not talk to Ritie as much as they used to. 9. How does Ritie respond