After experiencing the many injustices of the world, writers often turn to their pen and paper to express their feelings about society and its issues, tell their stories, and criticize the wickedness of man. Maya Angelou is an example of an author who accomplished just that by writing I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Through her novel, she described her life and the segregation and great amount of injustice she had faced during the 1930s and 40s.Through Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the author was able to illustrate the hardships and battles she faced as a young African American female from the south, along with the governmental impact on African-American rights, women’s equality, and segregation. I Know Why the Caged Bird
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Segregation was a large problem that the government had done little to nothing to help solve. During the time period, there was segregation between the African Americans and white people along with segregation between men and women. This can be seen in the novel Maya Angelou says, “Signs with arrows around the barbecue pit pointed MEN, WOMEN, and CHILDREN toward fading lanes, grown over since last year.” (Angelou, 20) This quote exemplifies the amount of discrimination and segregation at the time. This example describes the different bathrooms for each of the different groups of the people. During the time this book took place, segregation was not rare, in fact it was present almost everywhere. The quote presented here allows the reader to get a small taste of the larger issue. This quote helps the reader get a better understanding of the segregation that took place during the time. Segregation was a big issue and had caused many problems for both groups of people. Another example of segregation within Angelou’s novel is the city of Stamps in which they live in. The city is made up of both African Americans and white people. However, the city itself is severely segregated. The people of the African American community rely on one another for support and help. The people within this community were often threatened by the white community. This city of Stamps acts as an example of …show more content…
The novel is able to give the reader an idea of the rights of the African Americans didn’t have and the impact the government had on their lives. Maya Angelou was able to illustrate the many adversities that derive from being a black female in a highly segregated world, the effects of a lack of power and inequality, and vulnerability that comes from a government that offers no support or rights for African Americans or females, and the societal views and standards that come about as a result. Despite the challenges she faced, Angelou persevered through them and sought to unveil the truth behind the true barbarity of man and reflect on her life through her book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Maya Angelou has left an enormous impact on the world as her novel was able to help in the civil rights movement, and shed light on the real and personal effects the lack of the governmental intervention. This movement was able to change the lives of thousands of people living in situations similar to Maya
Segregation was a large problem that the government had done little to nothing to help solve. During the time period, there was segregation between the African Americans and white people along with segregation between men and women. This can be seen in the novel Maya Angelou says, “Signs with arrows around the barbecue pit pointed MEN, WOMEN, and CHILDREN toward fading lanes, grown over since last year.” (Angelou, 20) This quote exemplifies the amount of discrimination and segregation at the time. This example describes the different bathrooms for each of the different groups of the people. During the time this book took place, segregation was not rare, in fact it was present almost everywhere. The quote presented here allows the reader to get a small taste of the larger issue. This quote helps the reader get a better understanding of the segregation that took place during the time. Segregation was a big issue and had caused many problems for both groups of people. Another example of segregation within Angelou’s novel is the city of Stamps in which they live in. The city is made up of both African Americans and white people. However, the city itself is severely segregated. The people of the African American community rely on one another for support and help. The people within this community were often threatened by the white community. This city of Stamps acts as an example of …show more content…
The novel is able to give the reader an idea of the rights of the African Americans didn’t have and the impact the government had on their lives. Maya Angelou was able to illustrate the many adversities that derive from being a black female in a highly segregated world, the effects of a lack of power and inequality, and vulnerability that comes from a government that offers no support or rights for African Americans or females, and the societal views and standards that come about as a result. Despite the challenges she faced, Angelou persevered through them and sought to unveil the truth behind the true barbarity of man and reflect on her life through her book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Maya Angelou has left an enormous impact on the world as her novel was able to help in the civil rights movement, and shed light on the real and personal effects the lack of the governmental intervention. This movement was able to change the lives of thousands of people living in situations similar to Maya