Dissertation on Maya Angelou
I know why the caged bird sings was the first autobiography of Maya Angelou. This book tells of her very first years. Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928 in St. Louis. She was named at birth, Marguerite Johnson by her parents, Bailey and Vivian Baxter Johnson. Her brother, Bailey Jr., named her Maya. The family moved to California when she was an infant. At 3 1/2, her parents divorced. She and her brother moved to Stamps, Arkansas to live with their father's mother, Annie Henderson and Uncle Willie. Annie Henderson, was a proud woman who took very good care of her grandchildren. She was not an educated woman but she had what some may call "mother's wit" meaning she knew how to make intelligent decisions without being formally trained. Maya and Bailey Jr. affectionately called their grandmother, "Momma". Mrs. Henderson raised her grandchildren to respect the lord, themselves, and others. She also taught them that cleanliness was next to godliness. Sometimes it was hard for Maya to respect others especially the Caucasians. Though Mrs.
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Henderson operated a little "trade store" where all the "Negros" traded, she never earned the respect of the whites, even after loaning them money for their business. The food prices were very affordable. One can of powdered milk was worth $.50 in trade, and a five pound can of powdered eggs was $1.00, and ten #2 cans of mackerel was $1.00. While in the store, the offsprings of these people would make a mockery of Maya and Bailey Jr. These actions offended her because her grandmother had shown them such respect. She addressed the small children as "Mr. and Ms". Maya never wanted to adapt to these southern ways.
She refused to speak with a southern accent, or speak the common slang. Maya was very unusual for a small child. She was an over achiever in many ways. Maya's life took a turn for the worst when she was 7 1/2 years old. Their father, Bailey Sr. took Maya and Bailey Jr. to live with their mother in St. Louis. Their mother, Mrs. Baxter, had a live-in boyfriend. His name was Mr. Freeman. Mr. Freeman would do sexual things to little Maya without anyone's knowledge. Finally, early one morning, he forced her to do the unthinkable for a child. He raped her.
Afterward, he warned her that if she told anyone, he would kill Bailey Jr. . After learning of this heinous crime to her daughter, Mrs. Baxter took her to the hospital and brought charges against her boyfriend. The charges brought about a jury trial. It was a very frightening time for Maya. After all, she was only 7 1/2 years old. On the witness stand, Maya could not admit that she had let Mr. Freeman touch her inappropriately, so she lied when asked the question by his lawyer. Because of her denial, Mr. Freeman was only given one year and one day, but he never got a chance to do his time. His lawyer got him released that very afternoon.
The next morning his body was found beaten to death behind the alley. It was rumored that Maya's uncles had been guilty of this crime. Upon learning of Mr. Freeman's death, Maya felt that her lying caused him to die. She also felt that she had forfeited her place in heaven forever; she thought that she had sold herself to the devil with no escape. So at this moment, she decided to stop talking to everyone except for Bailey Jr. She is mute for five years. The family related this behavior to post-rape trauma or hospital phobia. Shortly thereafter, Maya and Bailey Jr.
returned to Stamps, Arkansas. There she continued to be silent. Back home in Stamps, Maya was made acquaintance to a charming lady by the name of Mrs. Bertha Flowers. She was a strikingly beautiful woman that Maya had admired from afar. She soon introduced her to poetry. Maya learned to write poetry by reading it. This became her most loved hobby. During this time of silence, Maya felt she knew why "The Caged Bird Sings". Although, she had placed herself in a cage, she felt that it was better to keep quiet than to say things that hurt others. Cotton picking time was very popular during this era.
Maya saw first-hand-- the burden that cotton picking had placed on the people of Arkansas. She saw the cut fingers, and tired worn out bodies from cotton-picking time. In cotton-picking time the late afternoons revealed the harshness of Black Southern life, which in the early morning had been softened by nature's blessing of grogginess, forgetfulness and the soft lamplight. At the tender age of 10 a white's woman kitchen became her finishing school. The years that followed were times of renewing her gospel faith, writing poetry, being an excellent academic student, and being admired by the opposite sex.
She even found a friend by the name of Louise; together they became the smartest girls in the class. In 1940, Maya graduated with honors from Lafayette country training School. She felt angry and upset that the graduation guest speaker, Mr. Edward Donleavy, had tried to limit their expectations in life. Mr. Donleavy's attitude only made Maya dream more about bigger and better things. After graduation, Maya developed a very bad toothache, and needed to have an extraction done. Traveling by foot, Maya and Mrs. Henderson went looking for a dentist. The dentist name was Dr. Lincoln. Mrs.
Henderson took her to him because he had once asked her for a favor. He was a white man that had borrowed money from her to keep his practice open. In 1940, Maya graduated with honors from Lafayette country training school. She felt angry and upset that the graduation guest speaker, Mr. Edward Donleavy, had tried to limit their expectations in life. Mr. Donleavy's attitude only made Maya dream more about bigger and better things. After graduation, Maya developed a very bad toothache, and needed to have an extraction done. Traveling by foot, Maya and Mrs. Henderson went looking for a dentist. The dentist name was Dr.
Lincoln. Mrs. Henderson took her to him because he had once asked her for a favor. He was a white man that had borrowed money from her to keep his practice open. Dr. Lincoln refused to service Maya because she was black. He said that his policy was "he'd rather stick his hand down a dog's mouth than in a nigger's." Mrs. Henderson reminded him of her kindness to him, yet he still refused. Tricked into believing that he still owed her interest on the money borrowed, he gave her $10 and referred her to a colored dentist. At age thirteen, Maya left Arkansas for good. Mrs.
Henderson felt that the time had come for Maya and Bailey Jr. to rejoin their mother in California. She accompanied Maya to California. Bailey joined them about a month after their arrival. She stayed with them for six months. Although life in California was a bit different, racism still remained. On the bus, some of the whites refused to share the same seat with blacks. Maya continued to excel academically. While in high school, Maya received a two-year scholarship to study dance and drama at the California Labor School.
There she learned the craft of dancing and acting very well. Soon after, she found employment as the first black San Francisco streetcar conductor, but life in California was still awkward. Maya's physical appearance caused her to question her own femininity. She thought herself to be a lesbian. She began to wonder if sexual intercourse with a male was the answer. To satisfy her curiosity, Maya chose to have sexual relations with a boy from the neighborhood that she barely knew. This resulted in her giving birth to a baby boy. She never married the father of her son. At the age of fifteen she learned about motherhood.
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She refused to speak with a southern accent, or speak the common slang. Maya was very unusual for a small child. She was an over achiever in many ways. Maya's life took a turn for the worst when she was 7 1/2 years old. Their father, Bailey Sr. took Maya and Bailey Jr. to live with their mother in St. Louis. Their mother, Mrs. Baxter, had a live-in boyfriend. His name was Mr. Freeman. Mr. Freeman would do sexual things to little Maya without anyone's knowledge. Finally, early one morning, he forced her to do the unthinkable for a child. He raped her.
Afterward, he warned her that if she told anyone, he would kill Bailey Jr. . After learning of this heinous crime to her daughter, Mrs. Baxter took her to the hospital and brought charges against her boyfriend. The charges brought about a jury trial. It was a very frightening time for Maya. After all, she was only 7 1/2 years old. On the witness stand, Maya could not admit that she had let Mr. Freeman touch her inappropriately, so she lied when asked the question by his lawyer. Because of her denial, Mr. Freeman was only given one year and one day, but he never got a chance to do his time. His lawyer got him released that very afternoon.
The next morning his body was found beaten to death behind the alley. It was rumored that Maya's uncles had been guilty of this crime. Upon learning of Mr. Freeman's death, Maya felt that her lying caused him to die. She also felt that she had forfeited her place in heaven forever; she thought that she had sold herself to the devil with no escape. So at this moment, she decided to stop talking to everyone except for Bailey Jr. She is mute for five years. The family related this behavior to post-rape trauma or hospital phobia. Shortly thereafter, Maya and Bailey Jr.
returned to Stamps, Arkansas. There she continued to be silent. Back home in Stamps, Maya was made acquaintance to a charming lady by the name of Mrs. Bertha Flowers. She was a strikingly beautiful woman that Maya had admired from afar. She soon introduced her to poetry. Maya learned to write poetry by reading it. This became her most loved hobby. During this time of silence, Maya felt she knew why "The Caged Bird Sings". Although, she had placed herself in a cage, she felt that it was better to keep quiet than to say things that hurt others. Cotton picking time was very popular during this era.
Maya saw first-hand-- the burden that cotton picking had placed on the people of Arkansas. She saw the cut fingers, and tired worn out bodies from cotton-picking time. In cotton-picking time the late afternoons revealed the harshness of Black Southern life, which in the early morning had been softened by nature's blessing of grogginess, forgetfulness and the soft lamplight. At the tender age of 10 a white's woman kitchen became her finishing school. The years that followed were times of renewing her gospel faith, writing poetry, being an excellent academic student, and being admired by the opposite sex.
She even found a friend by the name of Louise; together they became the smartest girls in the class. In 1940, Maya graduated with honors from Lafayette country training School. She felt angry and upset that the graduation guest speaker, Mr. Edward Donleavy, had tried to limit their expectations in life. Mr. Donleavy's attitude only made Maya dream more about bigger and better things. After graduation, Maya developed a very bad toothache, and needed to have an extraction done. Traveling by foot, Maya and Mrs. Henderson went looking for a dentist. The dentist name was Dr. Lincoln. Mrs.
Henderson took her to him because he had once asked her for a favor. He was a white man that had borrowed money from her to keep his practice open. In 1940, Maya graduated with honors from Lafayette country training school. She felt angry and upset that the graduation guest speaker, Mr. Edward Donleavy, had tried to limit their expectations in life. Mr. Donleavy's attitude only made Maya dream more about bigger and better things. After graduation, Maya developed a very bad toothache, and needed to have an extraction done. Traveling by foot, Maya and Mrs. Henderson went looking for a dentist. The dentist name was Dr.
Lincoln. Mrs. Henderson took her to him because he had once asked her for a favor. He was a white man that had borrowed money from her to keep his practice open. Dr. Lincoln refused to service Maya because she was black. He said that his policy was "he'd rather stick his hand down a dog's mouth than in a nigger's." Mrs. Henderson reminded him of her kindness to him, yet he still refused. Tricked into believing that he still owed her interest on the money borrowed, he gave her $10 and referred her to a colored dentist. At age thirteen, Maya left Arkansas for good. Mrs.
Henderson felt that the time had come for Maya and Bailey Jr. to rejoin their mother in California. She accompanied Maya to California. Bailey joined them about a month after their arrival. She stayed with them for six months. Although life in California was a bit different, racism still remained. On the bus, some of the whites refused to share the same seat with blacks. Maya continued to excel academically. While in high school, Maya received a two-year scholarship to study dance and drama at the California Labor School.
There she learned the craft of dancing and acting very well. Soon after, she found employment as the first black San Francisco streetcar conductor, but life in California was still awkward. Maya's physical appearance caused her to question her own femininity. She thought herself to be a lesbian. She began to wonder if sexual intercourse with a male was the answer. To satisfy her curiosity, Maya chose to have sexual relations with a boy from the neighborhood that she barely knew. This resulted in her giving birth to a baby boy. She never married the father of her son. At the age of fifteen she learned about motherhood.
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