2017
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and Maya's Hardships
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings was written by an award winning author and poet Maya Angelou. Maya became a civil rights activist. This book was written in the 1930s in a very controversial time in which the United States was fighting over segregation. Maya's parents divorced while she was at a young age. Maya lived with her grandmother who was called momma in Stamps, Arkansas. Big Bailey, Maya's father arrives to take her and Bailey to see their mother Vivian in St. Louis. One night Vivian's husband Mr. Freeman decides to rape Maya after she comes back from the store. Maya and Bailey returned to Stamps, Arkansas. Once Bailey sees a white man pull a dead black man from a pond momma then …show more content…
This point in the book shows that Maya is at a realization of all the terrible things that go on around her. She doesn't seem to be mad. She is content with the life that she is living. Maya talks about all the things that whites have compared to what she had growing up. Maya believes that although she has to go through a tough life now she will be the one who is on top in the end. Maya makes this apparent when she tells us “It was better to be meek and lowly sat upon and abused for this little time then to spend eternity frying in the fires of hell” (Angelou 131). Maya was ok with being treated unequally, at this point she had faith in God and the fact that he will make everything right once again. She knows that God is on her side, she just has to stay strong for this short time so that she can enjoy a good life when it is all over. Maya says: “Folks are going to get what they deserve” (Angelou 131). This refers to all the people who have done Maya wrong throughout the book such as Mrs. Viola Cullinan who called her Mary. This made her very mad to the point where she had to break her china to get fired. Mrs. Viola Cullinan and all the other people who have treated her unfairly will get what they have …show more content…
She was faced with situations that made her realize that God is testing her and one day she will be living a good life if she can put up with what she is going through now. Maya was abused physically, verbally and mentally for years. She tried not to let these things distract her from her main goal. The author gained knowledge along the way in the book that she uses to become a stronger person. Maya knows that all of these things she has to go through now will eventually pay off. She keeps a good attitude through all of this. If Maya did not stay positive she would not of been able to succeed. Her story might not have ever come out of the cage. Maya stayed strong. She did not let the rape silence her as it would have most women. This incident showed Mayas strength. Dr. Lincoln's words did not get in her head and make her think bad about herself. She would not dare to accept the boundaries set by Mr. Edward Donleavy. This speech was like an insult to Maya and she used it for motivation. She learned from Mrs. Viola Cullinan not to let somebody's words get the best of you. The experiences the author faced made her into the strong, successful African American woman she was. Maya stayed resilient while telling herself that she will be on top in the end if she can deal with the bad hand she is dealt with now. She tried her hardest to stay positive while she was discriminated
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and Maya's Hardships
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings was written by an award winning author and poet Maya Angelou. Maya became a civil rights activist. This book was written in the 1930s in a very controversial time in which the United States was fighting over segregation. Maya's parents divorced while she was at a young age. Maya lived with her grandmother who was called momma in Stamps, Arkansas. Big Bailey, Maya's father arrives to take her and Bailey to see their mother Vivian in St. Louis. One night Vivian's husband Mr. Freeman decides to rape Maya after she comes back from the store. Maya and Bailey returned to Stamps, Arkansas. Once Bailey sees a white man pull a dead black man from a pond momma then …show more content…
This point in the book shows that Maya is at a realization of all the terrible things that go on around her. She doesn't seem to be mad. She is content with the life that she is living. Maya talks about all the things that whites have compared to what she had growing up. Maya believes that although she has to go through a tough life now she will be the one who is on top in the end. Maya makes this apparent when she tells us “It was better to be meek and lowly sat upon and abused for this little time then to spend eternity frying in the fires of hell” (Angelou 131). Maya was ok with being treated unequally, at this point she had faith in God and the fact that he will make everything right once again. She knows that God is on her side, she just has to stay strong for this short time so that she can enjoy a good life when it is all over. Maya says: “Folks are going to get what they deserve” (Angelou 131). This refers to all the people who have done Maya wrong throughout the book such as Mrs. Viola Cullinan who called her Mary. This made her very mad to the point where she had to break her china to get fired. Mrs. Viola Cullinan and all the other people who have treated her unfairly will get what they have …show more content…
She was faced with situations that made her realize that God is testing her and one day she will be living a good life if she can put up with what she is going through now. Maya was abused physically, verbally and mentally for years. She tried not to let these things distract her from her main goal. The author gained knowledge along the way in the book that she uses to become a stronger person. Maya knows that all of these things she has to go through now will eventually pay off. She keeps a good attitude through all of this. If Maya did not stay positive she would not of been able to succeed. Her story might not have ever come out of the cage. Maya stayed strong. She did not let the rape silence her as it would have most women. This incident showed Mayas strength. Dr. Lincoln's words did not get in her head and make her think bad about herself. She would not dare to accept the boundaries set by Mr. Edward Donleavy. This speech was like an insult to Maya and she used it for motivation. She learned from Mrs. Viola Cullinan not to let somebody's words get the best of you. The experiences the author faced made her into the strong, successful African American woman she was. Maya stayed resilient while telling herself that she will be on top in the end if she can deal with the bad hand she is dealt with now. She tried her hardest to stay positive while she was discriminated