I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings final Analysis Amy, Natalie, Sanjana, Emily

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings final Analysis Amy, Natalie, Sanjana, Emily

1. WRITING STYLE

   • Narrator
     • 1st person
     • Maya Angelou
     • Writes from her point of view as a child and as an adult
     • past and present tense
   • Figurative Language
     • Oxymoron/ Paradox
       • "I hadn't so much forgot as I couldn't bring myself to remember" (Angelou 1)
     • Similes
       • shows emotions
         • "...roared out of the yard with a sound like a giant's fart" (Angelou 120)
     • Metaphors
     • Symbolism
       • Bailey running carelessly across the train tracks and leaving Maya on the other side symbolizes the developing rift between him and Maya
     • Foreshadowing
       • "Almost fifteen years passed before I saw my brother cry again"(83).
     • personification
       • "The light would come in softly, easing itself over the shelves..."
     • 5 senses to enrich writing (sensory details)
   • Character Development
     • Maya
       • wants to be different than who she is (beginning/ YOUNG age)
         • wishes she was a boy because all of the heroes she reads in her books are male
       • feels immediate guilt for lying in court
       • assigned blame to herself for Mr. Freeman's abusive actions
         • also blames herself for his death
       • becomes proud of her race
         • After Joe Louis wins the fight, she believes that blacks are the most powerful people in the world
         • Listens to the words of "Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” also known as the black community's national anthem
       • has been hurt by others so much she does not want to love anyone
         • When Louise explains that Tommy Valdon's valentine meant love, she said, "not ever again"
       • life quickly rushes into adulthood
       • curious and perceptive
   • Word Choice
     • Use words for emotions and to set mood
     • Shows character development and personality of characters
       • "Momma" shows innocence

2. CHARACTERS

   • BAILEY
     • Personality as a child
       • Protective of Maya, stood up for her
       • Kind
       • Thoughtful
     • Maya's older brother
       • Most important person in Maya's life, she looks up to him, and he understands her
     • loves Maya unconditionally
     • Falls in love with Joyce, who eventually runs away with another man she meets at the Store. Bailey is heartbroken
     • wants his mothers approval
   • "MOMMA" (Grandmother)
     • kind
     • religious
     • strict/firm
     • frugal due to absence of money
     • never tells her grandkids she loves them but they know she does
   • MAYA
     • Personality as a child
       • Mischievous (stole things from store with Bailey) and Playful
       • Upset with racism
       • Innocent
       • Warm-hearted
       • Bold
       • struggles with her identity as an African American
         • not always proud of who she is
         • not extremely aware of her heritage (when she is young)
       • has some negative influences at a very young age
       • values intelligence over appearance
       • idealistic
         • wants to look nice
           • wants to please people and be like the "sweet little white girls"
       • low self-steem
       • anxious
     • wants to please others
     • strong morals
     • parents divorced
       • father sent children to their grandmother
     • caring
     • pays attention to what happens in the world
     • believes people can be kind no matter what other people think of them
     • curious
       • "ran to find out who had come rinding on a Thursday evening"
   • MOTHER (VIVIAN)
     • Maya does not find true happiness in her initial relationship with her mother
     • Maya admires her strength and honesty despite Vivian's many mistakes as a parent
       • At the end of the memoir we have a positive image of her mother
     • supportive of Maya in later years
     • little early involvement
   • MRS. FLOWERS
     • allowed Maya to speak freely without fear
       • Maya discovers poetry and the impact it has on her
     • Maya views her as a hero, which caused her to believe that not all superheroes are male
       • leads Maya to try to become heroic in her own ways
         • ex: consoles Dolores, drives her father's car home, etc.
     • introduces Maya to literature
   • MRS. CULLINAN
     • white woman who Maya works for
     • racist and unfair
     • does not treat Maya with respect
       • does not bother to learn Maya's real name
   • DADDY CLIDELL
     • first real father figure in Maya's life
     • positive influence
   • BIG BAILEY (Her Father)
     • vain, selfish, and shallow
     • doesn't show interest in his kids
     • con man
     • handsome
     • uses proper english
       • "errer"

3. THEME

   • Overcoming difficult struggles in life
   • Learning to love and have respect for yourself
   • Feeling empowered by your actions
   • Appreciate tolerance and diversity
   • Resistance to violence and racism

4. AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ELEMENTS

   • tells her stories and struggles
     • Maya Angelou faced many problems in her life, not only with her race, but with her family
   • autobiography about her life
     • memoir
   • mentions important people and events in her life