Maya Angelou’s excerpt from “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” will imaginatively take a reader away from their deskbound position to envisioning the stage of a play ornamented with fashioned rabbits, buttercups, and daisies, hearing children as they actively perfect their performance, and stimulate the readers’ appetite with the expressive words she uses to describe sweet whiffs of cinnamon and chocolate from the food samples being prepared. From Angelou’s portrayal of the play an individual will be capable of picturing white rabbits crafted from construction paper and cotton balls modelling puffy tails, together with, yellow and pink card board cut outs resembling buttercups and daisies decking a stage. The person who reads this excerpt
III. a. Maya Angelou was an avid writer, speaker, activist and teacher. As a result of the many hardships that she suffered while growing up as a poor black woman in the south she has used her own experiences as the subject matter of her written work. In doing this she effectively shows how she was able to overcome her personal obstacles. Her autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970) tells the story of her life and how she overcame and moved forward triumphantly in spite of her circumstances.
Maya Angelou has been an influential woman throughout her life; she left her mark in history and literature, and she celebrated the experience of being black in the US. The most breathtaking of all her achievements is the construction of her own personality. As she stated once, “my mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style”. Remembering her, it is important to highlight her commitment with equality; it was a fight not only for her own life, for women and for Afro-American people, but also for peace and justice all over the world.
What was it like living in the world of an African American woman in the 1940s? An excerpt from the book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings titled “Occupation: Conductorette” is an autobiography by Maya Angelou. Maya shares her story of how she was discriminated against throughout her life, specifically her teenage years. By examining the autobiography and explanations, the reader will understand how minorities, specifically African Americans, were treated and discriminated against in the 1940s and 50s. Discrimination has always been illustrated in our nation; Maya Angelou experiences this throughout her life and in the workforce.
Maya Angelou recalls the first seventeen years of her life, discussing her unsettling childhood in her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Maya and Bailey were sent from California to the segregated South to live with their grandmother, Momma. At the age of eight, Maya went to stay with her mother in St. Louis, where she was sexually abused and raped by her mother’s boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. Maya confronts these traumatic events of her childhood and explores the evolution of her own strong identity. Her individual and cultural feelings of displacement, caused by these incidents of sexual abuse, are mediated through her love for literature.
…the caged bird beats his wing, till its blood is red on the cruel bars”. Using this imagery, of the caged bird, the poet expresses the ordeal of African-Americans. For ages, they have been oppressed and enslaved by the whites. The iron bars represent the systematic racism that has prevented them to live a normal life.
”(11-13) This pressure won her, and countless other integrationists, their inherent rights to equality and, eventually, acceptance. Another instance that showcases the impact of freeing the oppressed can be found in the metaphors of the free and caged birds as described by Maya Angelou. Her portrayal of the caged bird against that of the free bird shows a stark contrast that can be eliminated once he is freed. She describes his present state, writing, “The free bird leaps/ on the back of the wind/ and floats downstream/ till the current ends/and dips his wings/ in the orange sun rays/ and dares to claim the sky.// But a bird that stalks/ down his narrow cage/ can seldom see through/ his
Correspondingly, in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya Angelou’s short story shows symbolism through the surroundings of the protagonist. To clarify, “black-crepe-dress gloom… black-dressed usher… woolen black clothes worn,” the color and clothing of the guests show that there was a ceremony happening for a fallen loved one. The protagonist shows the color black as a symbol of death, oppression, and bleakness. Also, “it was impossible not to record their roles in the drama,” this sentence from the story is quite interesting because it shows that the protagonist was being oblivious with her words. To enumerate, this a symbolism of grief.
She shows us that despite the injustices that may occur, there will always be victory for those who truly deserve it. Maya Angelou's perspective as a young African American girl is described in Chapter 19 of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, titled Champion of the World. Her community is gathered to support Joe Louis, the former champion, in a boxing match that determines if he'll continue being champion or not. As the story progresses in her grandmother's and uncle’s store, the tone transforms from hopeful to defeated, to triumphant.
In the story “I know why the caged bird sings” Maya Angelou makes a statement about the power of names to point out that name calling, and calling someone out of their name isn't always appropriate. When I was younger, I was always taught that calling an adult out their name was disrespectful. My parents weren't the kind that were strict about “yes ma’am” and “yes sir” but they always wanted us to call everybody by their first name. Nicknames aren't always bad, but there not always good either.
I am writing to express interest in the Director of Learning position available at Nishimachi International School. I am particularly inspired by your school's emphasis on developing transferrable academic and social skills in all students. As a current high school Assistant Director who is motivated by the fundamental belief that every student, regardless of background, should have access to an education that meets their individual academic and social needs, I am certain that my skills and educational philosophy make me well suited to support the students and faculty at Nishimachi International School. When I am not managing disciplinary issues, guiding students, teachers, and families around the college application process, or recruiting
Maya Angelou uses metaphor in that the caged bird represents African Americans being subjected to harsh racism and dehumanization in the 1960s. African Americans weren’t allowed to drink from the same water fountains or be in the same schools as
Being treated equally, and having equal rights as others, was a constant struggle during the 18 and 1900’s for people of color. There was no valid reason as of why they were being oppressed, resulting in riots, battling for justice. In “Caged Bird,” a poem by Maya Angelou, she creates a scene in which one bird is free, soaring wherever the bird wishes, happily. While another bird is caged, miserable, with clipped wing, tied up. In addition, written in “Sympathy,” by Paul Laurence Dunbar another highly profound poem, there is a single bird, that also is trapped, crying out for help due to it feeling depressed, and constantly beating itself up.
She describes hope as a bird, when birds sing, sounds like the song of hope makes her smile. On the other hand, I see more negativity on Maya Angelou’s poem, the title “Cages Bird” is already showing darkness. “The caged bird sings with
Life is a journey that is challenging for many people. As a result, many do not live up to their full potential. Nevertheless, there are always few distinguished people in every generation who master the art of living better than everyone else. Such individuals emerge as icons of the society and leave phenomenal legacies. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, and Maya Angelou are outstanding souls who made their communities and the world a better place.
