I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

The best-selling classic, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, has enlightened the world of the hardships of those that have bared the brunt of racism and sexism first-hand. This gripping story details how a young, black woman has lived through the horrors of the world and not only survived, but found her own freedom and happiness with seemingly everyone against her at every step of the way. The bildungsroman is a dramatized autobiography of Maya Angelou which accentuates the trials that the black population of the 1930’s faced.

The following reflection on the novel will explore the way in which the author wrote this piece, how the story is written, and my personal opinion of the novel’s story, style, and impact on society.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, is written in a way in which childlike thoughts and innocence are evident, yet the author uses advanced wording that it is obvious that the work is from an adult.

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Angelou wrote this piece in her own present perspective retelling the events that transpired when she was a child, occasionally adding statements for either clarity or for dramatic effect. An example of this is from the book is “If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult.” (Angelou, 6). The particular statement that is taken from the prologue is foreshadowing the plight that Angelou will undergo. In addition to added quotes that give information about the story, the reader gets insight into what Angelou is thinking.

As a child, Angelou was quiet and reserved, but in the story, her thoughts and opinions are displayed for the reader to see. For instance, when the poor white girls of Stamps go into her grandmother’s store and taunt Momma. Angelou rages and thinks “I wanted to throw a handful of black pepper in their faces, to throw lye on them, to scream that they were dirty, scummy peckerwoods, but I knew I was as clearly imprisoned behind the scene as the actors outside were confined to their roles.” (Angelou, 33). Angelou is clearly in full of rage of how the poor white girls acted, yet instead of following through her desires, she sheds tears in rage behind the screen door of her Momma’s shop. By contrasting Angelou’s thoughts compared to her actions, it allows the reader to see how the young Angelou is confused as to what is the right course of action. Throughout the entire novel, Angelou’s insecurities and fears are exposed for us to see.

The book follows the three-act structure used in all types of fiction. The first act sets up the characters for conflict. In I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Angelou and her brother get sent to Stamps and live there with their grandmother. They lived a relatively quiet life until their long-lost father arrives and takes them to St. Louis. Angelou then gets raped by her mother’s boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. This is introduction provides a solid foundation on which the story builds upon. By moving the main character to another environment, the story sets itself up for conflict as the character is in unknown waters. Mr. Freeman gets sentenced but is found kicked to death. This event and the rape has exposed the innocent young girl to the horrors of the world and introduces the main conflicts in the story — fighting against racism and sexism.

The second act leads the character the furthest from accomplishing his or her goals. The rape has horrified young Angelou to silence. She has become mute and gets sent back to Stamps in which a woman named Mrs. Flowers helps her recover through poetry. Introducing a mentor figure to help the main character in their hardest of times is a plot idea used in countless novels. This allows the main character to steadily find their way back on track and helps them overcome their initial weakness. Mrs. Flowers allows Angelou to grow out of her safety blanket of mutism and develop self-confidence and independence, key character traits that define the young woman further on in the story.

Finally, the third act concludes the character’s story. Angelou has a wild ride overcoming conflict after conflict - ranging from her sexuality to her turbulent relationship with her father. But the major turning point in the story is when Angelou fights for a position as a streetcar conductor. This is an extremely significant moment in the novel as it is the first real time in which Angelou has had something her way. She has become the first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco after a month of visiting the office. Her mother summarizes this moment in a quote “Life is going to give you just what you put in it. Put your whole heart in everything you do, and pray, then you can wait.” (Angelou, 288). Angelou’s initial success starts a short chain reaction which leads to the end. Subsequently, Angelou gets pregnant and gives birth to a boy. The birth symbolizes her freedom — the breaking of the rusted shackles of society that bind her race and her gender — as she. Ultimately, she has achieved what many people have not. She has gained self-confidence, fought racism, connected with her parents, and escaped poverty. With the birth of her son, she has gained love and adulthood.

In my personal opinion, the novel’s story and style are quite appealing. While a girl’s coming-of-age story would not usually be the first book I pick up to read, the idea behind the story is intriguing. Fighting against the oppressive environment of 1930’s America and coming out on top is no easy feat. The author’s writing style conveys the story much like how old friends talk about their past. The reader feels in the loop with Angelou’s inner thoughts as if they were experiencing the moment in third person looking back in time, yet they also feel of the character with the innocent, childlike impulsiveness, and conflicting feelings that Angelou imparts through her descriptive, flowery language. The story flows well and I enjoyed reading each chapter.

The story’s impact on society is undeniably pronounced. The fact that it is an autobiography is proof that not all hope is lost for black people. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings emphasizes that living a miserable life of a cotton farmer at Stamps, earning far less than needed to provide a living, is not the only way of life. In addition to the effect on racism, the wide reach of such a gripping story that smashes all previous stereotypes of “heroes [that] were always good, always won, and were always boys” (Angelou, 82) would definitely inspire and influence women of all ages to dream big and become their own heroes.

In conclusion, Maya Angelou’s classic, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, has a writing style that allows the integration between childishness and maturity, a plot structure that mimics the quintessential three-act structure of innumerable works of fiction, and in my opinion, an enjoyable reading experience with far-reaching impacts of society. With such an amazing work of literature, there is no questioning how it became an all-time classic.