What Is The Motif Of Identity In I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

In Chapter 30 of Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya is invited to stay in southern California with Daddy Bailey. Maya accepts but is introduced to Daddy Bailey’s girlfriend, Dolores Stockland, and tension is commenced. During Maya’s vacation, Bailey decides to take her to Mexico to purchase food when Bailey is distracted by a border guard and a fiesta. After losing sight of Bailey in the fiesta, Maya panics but finds him drunk later. Maya is then forced out how to drive his car, to which she ends up crashing but makes it home with help from an awake Daddy Bailey. This passage specifically talks about the relationship between Maya and Dolores as well as their reaction to Daddy Bailey taking Maya to Mexico. Literary Features

A father is meant to care for his children, be by their side, and provide them with nurture. These qualities of a father are not what we see in Bailey. Bailey had invited Maya to come to southern California to stay with him, but after she arrives, he continually pits her against Dolores, his young girlfriend. We see this action from Dad Bailey and it starts when he says to Maya, “Well that’s life” when Maya discusses her opinions towards Dad Bailey’s girlfriend. This goes back to what I was saying about Dad Bailey’s failure as a father as instead of clearing the situation between Maya and Dolores, he tells Maya to forget about it and says that rude acts and violence are a part of life and you need to live with it. It makes it sound like he doesn't care about what’s happening between them, even though he has a strong relationship with both of them, and it is true! While Maya and Dolores have their “test of strength”, Dad Bailey “stood figuratively on the sidelines, neither cheering nor booing but enjoying himself greatly”. I interpret this as an increase in his egolessness which has affected some of the biggest relationships in his life. The other big relationship he has is with his girlfriend. A boyfriend is meant to love and cherish his girlfriend, same goes for the girl. When inviting Maya to Mexico, knowing that Dolores is jealous, Daddy Bailey still takes Maya with him, leaving Dolores behind to wonder and worry. Going back to the relationship between Dad Bailey and Maya, Maya never really had a connection with Dad Bailey as a child due to their lack of communication. Dad Bailey “had not shown any particular pride in me and very little affection” and thus the reality of egocentric fathers is shown. They center themselves and leave out others, especially their loved ones, on the