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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Maya Angelou

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Course Hero. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Study Guide." Course Hero. 13 Oct. 2016. Web. 5 June 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/I-Know-Why-the-Caged-Bird-Sings/>.

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Course Hero. (2016, October 13). I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved June 5, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/I-Know-Why-the-Caged-Bird-Sings/

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Course Hero. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Study Guide." October 13, 2016. Accessed June 5, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/I-Know-Why-the-Caged-Bird-Sings/.

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Course Hero, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Study Guide," October 13, 2016, accessed June 5, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/I-Know-Why-the-Caged-Bird-Sings/.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | Infographic

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Check out this Infographic to learn more about Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

i-know-why-the-caged-bird-sings-maya-angelou_UPDATESources: Biography.com, Caged Bird Legacy, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Poetry FoundationCopyright © 2016 Course Hero, Inc.ords mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.Mrs. Flowers, Chapter 15Main CharactersMrs. FlowersKind friend to young MargueriteDaddy ClidellVivian’s husband; father figure to MargueriteBig Bailey JohnsonMarguerite’s selfish biological fatherBailey Johnson, Jr.Marguerite’s smart older brotherAnnie Henderson (Momma)Marguerite’s strict paternal grandmother and caretakerVivian BaxterMarguerite’s supportive motherMarguerite JohnsonCurious African American girl growing up in the segregated SouthFamilyFriendshipMarriedSymbolsThe Caged BirdSymbolizes the authorThe Easter DressRepresents Marguerite’s lack of self-acceptanceThe DollSymbolizes Marguerite’s fantasy of being whiteBorn Marguerite Johnson, Angelou grew up in the segregated southern United States. Angelou's courage and creativity helped her overcome obstacles. She gained fame and recognition with a role in the TV series Roots, a Tony Award nomination, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.MAYA ANGELOU1928–2014AuthorI Know Why the Caged Bird SingsBy the NumbersYears I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings remained on the New York Times paperback best-seller's list 2Years young Marguerite refused to speak after a traumatic experience5Honorary degrees bestowed on Angelou>50Year Angelou read her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton1993Power of WordsSpeaking and silence are explored as forces of both destruction and healing.Finding CommunityMoving from place to place, Marguerite finds a sense of community in unexpected locales.RacismMany of Marguerite’s struggles are the direct result of racism and racist policies during segregation.RacismMany of Marguerite’s struggles are the direct result of racism and racist policies during segregation.Names & IdentityMarguerite searches for her identity as child, woman, mother, and African American.Set in the mid-20th century United States, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is an autobiography of Maya Angelou’s childhood and adolescence. In describing the personal struggles of its author, it tells of the difficulties shared by many African Americans during a time of intense racial tension.Coming of Agein an Age of RacismTHEMESMaya Angelou1969EnglishAuthorYear PublishedOriginal LanguageI Know Why theCaged Bird SingsNonfictionAutobiography
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