Essay On I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

In the book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou there's this very naive girl who goes through some hard times but worked hard and found herself. Being able to overcome living in one home to the next, surviving through the “Mexico” incident, and living in a junkyard. Maya was able to live through all these hardships, and in so doing became a stronger woman. Maya had to grow up quickly at a young at age, specifically when driving her passed-out, drunk father all the way home from Mexico. After a full night of drinking. Daddy “began snoring” and Maya was scared for her life (236). Maya “fumbled over the knobs as she attempted to start the car” (237). Once she finally succeeded starting her Daddy's car, she drove almost the entire …show more content…
At that point Maya felt very independent knowing her father wasn't a fit caregiver for her. So she decided to pack her bags and leave. With nowhere left to go, she found some new friends in a junkyard and it became a true “community” for her (253). The community she found showed her she now has people to rely on and how important that is and that she still has to be independent and make her own decisions. For example, the community would raise money by begging and/or working and the “money was… used communally” (253). Not having parents had a major life impact on Maya, the way she grew up was abrupt and living with Momma and being sheltered in the store then all of a sudden making life decisions. She had no role model, there was no one to teach her the good and the bad. The things to stay away from and the things to strive for. Especially a big one like when and who to have sex with. So she decided one day because Bailey was doing it that she should ask a good looking boy “would you like to have sexual intercourse with me” (281). I believe if either of their parents were there for both of their kids Maya and Bailey would know right from