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The title, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, evokes a feeling of muffled hope. The reader can easily relate to the metaphor of a caged bird that moves on through life and tries to make the best of it. Although Maya Angelou had a life containing vulgarity and ugliness, she rose above her unfortunate situation and lived her life to the fullest. She continued on after being raped, being stabbed by her stepmother, and even becoming a teenage mother. The adversity gave her strength, and the diversity of family and environment resulted in her knowledge of the world and people around her. The most contrasting people in her life were her grandmother, Momma, and her mother, Mother Dear. Momma was the epitome of a southern African-American woman. Maya once said, “Bailey, by the way…” (102), and Momma told her she had committed a sin and prayed immediately for God to “…forgive this child…” (103). Her explanation to Maya of the outburst was that, “’Jesus was the Way, the Truth, and the Light’ and anyone who says ‘by the way’ is really saying, ‘by Jesus,’ or ‘by God’ and the Lord’s name would not be taken in vain in her house” (103). Momma routinely went to church every Sunday, making sure to dress up accordingly and have the Sunday dinner ready for the pastor if he happened to be in town.
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