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Marguerite Ann Johnson, better known as Maya, is the central character and autobiographical voice in Maya Angelou’s poignant memoir, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Set in the racially segregated South during the 1930s and 1940s, Maya’s journey unfolds as she navigates the challenges of racism, poverty, and personal trauma.
Bailey Johnson Jr is the older brother of Maya Angelou in the memoir, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. He is described as handsome, charismatic, and popular. He is protective of Maya and often acts as a father figure in the absence of their own father. Bailey is also an intelligent and gifted student, but he struggles with personal demons and eventually turns to drinking and running away from his problems.
Momma, also known as Annie Henderson, is a strong, resilient, and deeply religious woman who raises Maya and Bailey with strict discipline and high moral values in the segregated South during the 1930s and 1940s. She is highly respected in her community for her moral integrity and her ability to keep her family together despite the challenges of poverty, racism, and violence.
Vivian Baxter Johnson is the maternal grandmother of the protagonist, Maya Angelou, in I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. She is a glamorous and independent woman who owns a boarding house in San Francisco. Vivian encourages Maya’s love of reading and supports her emotionally throughout her childhood.
