I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
By Maya Angelou
Ms. J Denis ([email protected])
Pre-Reading Activity
Below are some sentence starters you will be completing for your journals the first few weeks
of class. Choose two to think about before you read and then reflect on how these two relate to
Angelou’s memoir after you read.
The most embarrassing thing that ever happened to me was….
Attending church regularly is….
The most important person in my life is….
The word “summer” makes me think of…
My life is controlled by….
If you really want to reach a goal….
Background Information
Maya Angelou (1928- )
Angelou is best known for her portrayal of strong African American women. Born Marguerite
Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, Angelou spent most of her childhood living with her
grandmother in rural Arkansas. Her writing includes a series of autobiographical books. For
more information go to http://mayaangelou.com/.
The Book
Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern
town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the
local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is
attacked by a man many times her age–and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime.
Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns about love for herself and the kindness of others, her
own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William
Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.
Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a modern American classic that will
touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read.
To purchase the book, ebook or audio go to http://www.randomhouse.com/book/3924/i-knowwhy-the-caged-bird-sings-by-maya-angelou/9780345514400/?view=oonline/
Angelou’s themes
Courage
Perseverance
Self-acceptance
Realization of one’s full potential
While You Read – Answer the following questions in complete sentences and have your
answers ready to bring to class the first few weeks of school. Remember to look up any words
you do not understand. Some words or phrases are regional dialect so you may need to
bookmark the following sites.
The following sites will help you with vocabulary development and regional dialect. This is
essential since you will be preparing to take the SATs this school year!!!
http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/I_Know_Why_The_Caged_Bird_Sings/Caged
_Bird_Sings33.html
http://www.vocabulary.com/lists/25210#view=notes
Chapter 1:
Topic: Based on the description of Stamps in Chapter 1, what time period do you think the
story takes place in?
Description: How might this positively or negatively impact the main characters’ lives? What do
most of the men in Stamps do for a living? What does this suggest about the social, racial,
and/or economic context of the autobiography?
Chapter 2:
Topic: Describe Uncle Willie and the struggles he faces.
Description: Analyze both the physical limitations put on him by his own body as well as the
limitations put on him by the stereotypes and social norms of the time period. What draws
Marguerite to Uncle Willie? How does Marguerite relate to his situation?
Chapter 3:
Topic: Does Momma’s reaction to news about the white mob surprise you? Explain
Description: What does her reaction tell the reader about the environment in which
Marguerite spent her childhood? How do you think this may have affected her as a
young girl?
HONORS ONLY - Topic: How do you think the continual violation of human rights by groups
like the Ku Klux Klan impact the African American community?
Chapter 4:
Topic: Describe Bailey using specific details from the text to support your description.
Description: How does Bailey’s attractive appearance and personality “cage” Marguerite?
Chapter 5:
Topic: Do you agree with Marguerite’s statement that “whatever the contest had been,
Momma had won”?
Description: What was the “battle”? How did Momma “win”? When Marguerite recognizes this
triumph, how does it affect her? What does Momma’s reaction teach her?
HONORS ONLY - Topic: What is ironic about the way the “white trash” kids treat Momma,
Uncle Willie, and the Store? Use specific examples in your response.
Chapter 6:
Topic: Take a closer look at Reverend Thomas and choose one quote from Chapter 6
that is representative of Reverend Thomas’ character.
Description: Analyze the quote in at least 5 well-developed sentences. Your analysis should
focus on the irony of Reverend Thomas given his profession. Note the way Bailey and
Marguerite react to his behavior.
Chapter 7:
Topic: Chapter 7 is focused almost entirely on Momma. Choose one detail about Momma from
Chapter 7 to discuss in detail.
Description: Include a quote that describes Momma, and then analyze the importance of this
detail. What does it tell the reader about Momma as a character? How might this detail have
impacted Marguerite?
Chapter 8:
Topic: Does Momma’s decision to allow Bailey and Marguerite to assume that their parents
were dead surprise you? Why or why not?
Description: What would you have told them in her position? How did you feel when the
children received Christmas presents from their parents? Do you think it would have been
better for them to go on thinking that their parents were dead?
Topic: Do you agree with Momma’s method of discipline when Marguerite and Bailey react
negatively to the gifts from their parents? Why or why not?
Description: Also, why do you think Momma reacts this way?
Chapter 9:
Topic: How does the physical beauty of her parents impact Marguerite?
Description: To what extent does she attribute the bonds that Bailey instantly forms with their
parents to this shared physical beauty? Why do you think she feels this way? How might her
own reaction to meeting her parents be affected by their beauty?
Chapter 10:
Topic: Displacement: loss of a home; moved from or put out of usual or proper place. Analyze
the theme of displacement evident in chapters 9-10.
Description: Use specific details from the text to support your ideas about how this theme is
evident in these chapters. What is the impact of displacement on Marguerite?
HONORS ONLY - Topic: Compare and contrast Marguerite’s two families.
Description: How does Vivian’s side of the family differ from Momma and Willie? How are they
similar? Why is Marguerite so nonchalant about this huge change? Why do you think she
approaches moving in this way? What does this reveal about her? How do you think this new
family will impact Marguerite’s development and outlook on life?
Topic: Take a Closer Look at Grandmother Baxter. What is strange about Grandmother Baxter’s
position in the community?
Description: Who are the men she entertains? Relate this to the time period (Prohibition) and
location in which they live.
Chapter 11:
Topic: Does Marguerite’s reaction to Mr. Freeman’s molesting her surprise you?
Description: Why do you think she responds this way? Reflect on her upbringing, especially her
life with Momma as a young child before answering this question. Justify your answer with
support from the text.
Chapter 12:
Topic: After being raped by Mr. Freeman, why does Maya no longer feel like a child?
Description: Choose a quote in which she expresses this feeling and analyze the extent to
which this event changes Marguerite.
Chapter 13: What Changed?
Topic: Marguerite experienced pain and confusion after being raped by Mr. Freeman, but at the
end of Chapter 13, she resolves to stop speaking.
Description: She states that she has “sold herself to the Devil.” What additional burden on her
conscience causes this change? What impact does this decision not to speak have on her life?
Why is Bailey the one person she will speak to?
Topic: Do you think that Mr. Freeman's death was justified? Why or why not?
Description: Support your position with a clear explanation and details from the text.
Chapter 14:
Topic: Discuss how the theme of displacement in the novel affects Marguerite’s relationship
with Bailey.
Description: When they move back to Stamps, Bailey is sorry to leave Vivian, but Marguerite is
relieved to return to a simpler life. However, this change also forces them to rely on each other
for support. Use examples from the text to show how these changes make the differences
between the siblings more apparent, but also how they bring them together.
Chapter 15:
Topic: Do you think Marguerite’s relatives understood the psychological implications of the
traumatic experience of rape?
Description: How does Mrs. Flowers come to Marguerite’s rescue emotionally?
Chapter 16:
Topic: Listen to this 11 minute interview from 2008 with Maya Angelou.
Description: Go to:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89355359
Click "Listen to The Story." Enjoy!
Topic: What do you learn about the evolution of Maya Angelou's name?
Description: What is the significance of this name change? What else did you learn about
Angelou from this interview that you found interesting? How does it relate to the chapter?
Chapter 17:
Topic: Do you think Bailey will try to run away again? Why or why not?
Description: In Chapter 17, Marguerite is frightened when Bailey runs in front of an oncoming
car. A year later, he boards a boxcar and ends up stuck in Baton Rouge for two weeks. In this
chapter, she wonders if he is secretly planning to leave Stamps. How was the move from St.
Louis to Stamps different for him than it was for Marguerite? Think about Bailey’s age and
relationship with his parents before writing your response.
Chapter 18:
Topic: What is the irony that Marguerite observes when she walks by the honky-tonk party after
the revival?
Description: How can she relate to both the people looking for salvation at the revival and the
people at the party?
Chapter 19:
Topic: How is Joe Louis’ role as a boxer in the heavyweight championship symbolic of the
struggles faced by African Americans during this time?
Description: Why do you think the African American community feels so strongly about the
outcome of the fight? Do you think Louis’ success helped to free Marguerite from her
metaphorical cage? If so, how?
Chapter 20:
Topic: Marguerite says Mr. Freeman robbed her of her childhood by molesting and raping
her. How does her friendship with Louise change this?
Description: How does this friendship cause Marguerite to grow and develop? Think about the
games they play and Marguerite’s relationship with Tommy Valdon.
Chapter 21:
Topic: Do you think Bailey’s manipulation of Marguerite to keep watch during his “games” with
Joyce is wrong?
Description: Is he being insensitive given the sexual abuse inflicted on her by Mr. Freeman?
Explain your position.
Topic: How does Joyce’s exploitative relationship with Bailey, to a certain extent, parallel the
relationship between Mr. Freeman and Marguerite?
Description: In what way does Joyce take advantage of Bailey’s desire for affection? Is she the
first woman to abandon Bailey, leaving him heartbroken?
Chapter 22:
Topic: Marguerite had a variety of “adult experiences” in her childhood, but Chapter 22
reveals her first experience with mortality.
Description: How does Mrs. Taylor’s death affect her? Why do you think she is so disturbed by
the story Mr. Taylor tells about an encounter with his dead wife?
Chapter 23:
Topic: Analyze the significance of Edward Donleavy’s speech at Marguerite’s graduation from
eighth grade.
Description: Think about the obstacles to getting an education that black children had to
overcome and how they must have felt when Donleavy minimized their achievements. How
does this remind Marguerite of the “cage” that limits all black people during this time period?
How does the song sung at the conclusion of the ceremony affect her? What does Marguerite’s
change in attitude indicate about her pride as a member of the black community?
Chapter 24:
Topic: Did Dentist Lincoln's refusal to treat Marguerite surprise you? Why or why not?
Description: Use details from the chapter and what you know about the time period to
support your answer.
Chapter 25:
Topic: Is Momma’s decision to take the children to California courageous?
Description: Consider her attachment to the children, her business and the fact that she has
never traveled more than 50 miles beyond Stamps. Justify your answer with specific details
from the text.
Chapter 26:
Topic: Describe the shift in Angelou's portrayal of Vivian from superhuman to human.
Description: Vivian is described as whimsical, powerful, resourceful and beautiful. For the first
time in this chapter, Vivian's insecurities and worries about her children are evident. How does
she become more "real" in this chapter? Why do you think this shift in perspective takes place
at this point in Marguerite's life? What does it reveal about Vivian.
Chapter 27:
Topic: Marguerite moves to San Francisco at a time when WWII is affecting constant change.
Description: People of all races are being displaced and are facing new challenges. Ironically,
this makes Marguerite feel “at home.” Why do you think she feels this way?
Chapter 28:
Topic: Miss Kirwin has a positive impact on Marguerite. Describe a teacher who saw potential in
you or inspired you.
Description: What grade were you in? How did this teacher’s support and belief in your abilities
impact your self-esteem, interest in the subject, ability to be successful, etc.?
Chapter 29:
Topic: Why is Daddy Clidell important to Marguerite?
Description: The Black con-men in Chapter 29 feel that anything they take from the white man
is their just due. Do you agree with that philosophy? Why or why not? Make a connection
between this moment and the moment in Dentist Lincoln’s office when Momma abandons her
usually acute sense of morality by unjustly charging Dentist Lincoln interest on a loan she gave
him years before.
Chapter 30-31:
Topic: Analyze Marguerite and Big Bailey's trip to Mexico. Whose behavior is more surprising?
Why?
Description: Explain your choice using specific information from the chapter to support your
answer.
Chapter 32:
Topic: Marguerite says her month living in the junkyard "set a tone for tolerance" in her life.
Description: Why did this month living in a car have such a profound effect on her?
Chapter 33:
Topic: At the end of Chapter 33, Marguerite refers to Bailey as her “little brother” when he was
actually a year older than Marguerite.
Description: Why do you think she does this? In what way is Bailey younger than Marguerite?
Think about Marguerite’s experiences, especially those in Southern California with Daddy
Bailey. How have her experiences caused her to mature faster than Bailey?
Topic: Bailey experiences some significant changes in this chapter. Describe the changes in his
behavior.
Description: What is motivating these changes? How are the changes in Bailey impacting his
relationship with Marguerite? How does Vivian respond to his choices and behavior? Use
specific details from the book to support your answers.
Chapter 34:
Topic: What did Angelou's triumph in becoming the first African American female streetcar
conductor in San Francisco reveal about her character?
Description: How did she successfully get this job despite the obstacles presented? What
qualities, character traits, etc. allow her to achieve her goal?
Chapter 35:
Topic: What event in this chapter surprised you most?
Description: Choose one and explain why you found it so surprising.
Chapter 36:
Topic: Are you surprised that Maya Angelou decided to end her autobiography at this moment?
Justify your answer with specific reasons.
HONORS ONLY:
Topic: Paul Dunbar's poem "Sympathy” inspired Maya Angelou's title. Why?
Description: Maya Angelou was inspired to name her first autobiography after Paul
Dunbar's poem titled "Sympathy." Read the poem below closely. Why do you think this poem
inspired the title of Angelou's autobiography? How does Angelou's life mirror that of the "caged
bird"? How does she achieve "freedom"? How does this title relate to her loss of voice as well as
her journey to regain it?
" Sympathy"
I KNOW what the caged bird feels, alas!
When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,
And the river flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opens,
And the faint perfume from its chalice steals?
I know what the caged bird feels!
I know why the caged bird beats his wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting?
I know why he beats his wing!
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,?
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings?
I know why the caged bird sings!
TERMS TO REVIEW (Search for these terms if you don’t know them):
Characterization
Hyperbole
Symbol
Similes
Motifs
Alliteration
Allusion
Aphorism
Dialect (Vernacular)
Irony
ALL: Be prepared to take an exam on I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings the first few
weeks of school!!!