I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Literary Analysis

“Life is not a solo act. It's a huge collaboration, and we all need to assemble around us the people who care about us and support us in times of strife” (Tim Gunn). Family support is a trait all three pieces of nonfiction literature have in common. Family is defined as a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head and is used as a verb. Common synonyms are household, clan, and fellowship. Support is to promote the interests or cause of and to uphold or defend as valid or right and is used as a verb. Common synonyms is bear, advocate, and assist. Family support is important because family provides love and care. They give a sense of strength and accountability. People know they can count on them in situations and decisions.

Growing up Maya and her brother, Bailey were sent away from their parents and lived with their grandmother. They felt they only had each other to rely on, although they loved their grandmother. Their grandmother was the only authoritative and parent-like role they had. “‘You be a good girl now. You hear? Don’t you make people think I didn’t raise your right. You hear?’ She would have been more surprised than I had she taken me in her arms and wept at losing me”(Angelou, 47). This quote shows family support because Maya’s grandmother is telling her to be good and stick to her morals; exhibiting to people she was raised right. Maya and Bailey had the support of their grandmother growing up as she taught them the morals they know now. Her grandmother is letting her go and cries showing that Maya and her grandmother have a strong bond. Since Maya does not have any family besides her grandmother and brother, her bonds are special between them. “Only in emergencies did Bailey allow me to speak pig latin to him in front of adults, but I had taken the chance that afternoon...Hearing my father speak it didn’t startle me so much as is it angered me”(Angelou, 49). This quote displays family support because Maya and Bailey have their own communication for each other when they are in certain predicaments. This shows that they are defensive for each other because they have a language to fall back on when a situation is uncertain. When their father understands pig latin, this is an example of uncertainty. Because Maya and Bailey are siblings, they have only had each other since childhood. After hearing their father speak pig latin, Maya was angry because it was something special that made them have a deeper and stronger relationship. Hearing their father speak it made feel like a