I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Synopsis

Part of the Blackwell's Five Foot Bookshelf.
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The international classic and bestseller, Maya Angelou's memoir paints a portrait of 'a brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman' (BARACK OBAMA).

'I write about being a Black American woman, however, I am always talking about what it's like to be a human being. This is how we are, what makes us laugh, and this is how we fall and how we somehow, amazingly, stand up again' Maya Angelou

In this first volume of her seven books of autobiography, Maya Angelou beautifully evokes her childhood with her grandmother in the American south of the 1930s. Loving the world, she also knows its cruelty. As a Black woman she has known discrimination, violence and extreme poverty, but also hope, joy, achievement and celebration.

'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity' JAMES BALDWIN

'She moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace . . . She will always be the rainbow in my clouds' OPRAH WINFREY

'She was important in so many ways. She launched African American women writing in the United States. She was generous to a fault. She had nineteen talents - used ten. And was a real original. There is no duplicate' TONI MORRISON

Summary

Chapter 1

* Marguerite and Bailey are sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas, after their parents move to California for work.
* Marguerite is a precocious and curious child, while Bailey is more withdrawn and sensitive.
* The grandmother is a stern but loving disciplinarian who instills in Marguerite a strong sense of pride and independence.

Chapter 2

* Marguerite is confronted with racism at school, where she is told she is not welcome to play with the white children.
* Her grandmother helps her cope with the experience by teaching her to stand up for herself and to never let anyone define her worth.

Chapter 3

* Marguerite befriends Mrs. Flowers, a kind and cultured white woman who introduces her to the world of literature.
* Mrs. Flowers becomes a mentor to Marguerite, encouraging her to pursue her education and to never give up on her dreams.

Chapter 4

* Marguerite's grandmother dies, leaving her devastated.
* She is sent to live with her mother in Chicago, where she faces new challenges and learns about her parents' troubled past.

Chapter 5

* Marguerite struggles to fit in at her new school in Chicago and experiences both racism and isolation.
* She finds solace in writing and starts to discover her own voice as a writer.

Chapter 6

* Marguerite meets Maya Angelou, a strong and independent woman who becomes a role model for her.
* Maya encourages Marguerite to embrace her identity and to use her voice to speak out against injustice.

Chapter 7

* Marguerite graduates from high school and moves to New York City to pursue a career in writing.
* She faces setbacks and rejection but perseveres, eventually finding success as a writer and poet.

Chapter 8

* Marguerite reflects on her journey and the lessons she has learned along the way.
* She concludes that no matter the obstacles she faces, she will never let anyone define her or silence her voice.