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Analysis Of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

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In the autobiography written by Maya (Marguerite) Angelou titled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya tells the story of her and her little brother Bailey who was sent to live with their paternal grandmother who is referred to as Momma Henderson in Stamps, Arkansas. Maya and her brother both lived a pretty normal country life with their grandmother in a southern state that at the time still had segregation. During one Christmas season, gifts arrived for Maya and her brother. Up to that point, Maya and her brother believed that their parents were dead. (Angelou, 52) Shortly after that Maya and her brother was brought back to reside with their mother, Vivian in St. Louis. Maya’s mother was supposedly a nurse although there is no mention of her actually going to work. Maya states that Vivian made extra money gambling. (Angelou, 70) Vivian was a strong and vocal woman, she supported Maya, during her troubling time. While living with her mother …show more content…

People often assume that because someone is from a southern state that they should speak with a certain dialect or accent, however, the characters from I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings proves that theory incorrect. There are many factors that contribute to social variation such as where an individual resides, the job they do, their age, sex, race, education and or social status. For the purpose of this paper, we will look into some of the characters of this book and how they are associated with certain social categories and variation. We will explore some of their similarities and their differences. The characters that we will look into are Maya (Marguerite) Angelou, Mrs. Bertha Flowers, Vivian Baxter and Anne Henderson. These women shaped Maya and molded her into the woman that she would later become. Their role in society, speech, knowledge, and strength enable Maya to become a strong outspoken, valuable member of

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