I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
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| Image:IKnowWhy.jpg | |
| Author | Maya Angelou |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Autobiographical novel |
| Publisher | Bantam (April 1, 1983) |
| Publication date | 1969 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 304 pp (Mass Market Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 05533279378 |
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a 1969 autobiographical novel about the early years of author Maya Angelou's life. The autobiography explores the isolation and loneliness faced by Angelou, and the attributes of her character that helped her cope with the prejudices of society. Quite graphic in nature, the text deals with issues including childhood rape, racism, and sexism, some of which has generated controversy.
The novel is the first in a six-volume autobiographical series, covering her childhood and young adult experiences. Later books in the series include Gather Together in My Name (1974), Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas (1976), The Heart of a Woman (1981), All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986), and A Song Flung Up To Heaven (2002).
In 1968, deeply depressed about the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Angelou had a meeting with her friend James Baldwin, cartoonist Jules Feiffer, and Feiffer's wife Judy. The following day Judy Feiffer called Robert Loomis, an editor at Random House and gave him the idea of Angelou writing her autobiography. At first, Angelou refused, but he "tricked" her into it, daring her into it by saying, "It’s just as well, because to write an autobiography as literature is just about impossible."[1] The result was Caged Bird, which catapulted Angelou to international fame and critical acclaim.
Contents |
[edit] Explanation of the book's title
The title of the book comes from the poem "Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar:
- "I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
- When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,
- When he beats his bars and 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. (Stanza 3)"
[edit] Plot summary
The novel follows Marguerite's (later called My, or Maya, by her brother) young life and the struggles she undergoes in the racist South. Abandoned by their parents at an early age, she and her older brother, Bailey, live with their grandmother "Momma", and her crippled uncle in Stamps, Arkansas, where her grandmother operates a general store.
Many of the problems Marguerite encounters in her childhood stem from the prejudices of her white neighbors who treat her family at the best with cool respect and, at the worst, blatant contempt. Furthermore, despite the fact that Momma is wealthier than most of the white neighbors, the white neighbors' children hassle them insolently, one girl even revealing her pubic hair to Momma. These events, along with Marguerite's feelings of inferiority to other white and black children, despite her above-average intelligence, cause her to initially start out as a self-conscious and short-tempered girl.
A turning point in the novel occurs when Marguerite and Bailey's father unexpectedly appears at their home to send them to live with their mother in St. Louis. While there, Marguerite, only eight years old at that time, is raped by her mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman, which traumatizes her. Mr. Freeman is later murdered after escaping jail time, which further burdens her with guilt and causes her to withdraw from all other people except for her brother. Even after moving back to Stamps, Marguerite remains reclusive and nearly mute until she meets the amiable Bertha Flowers who supplies her with books to encourage her love of reading, and coaxes her out of her shell.
As Marguerite grows up, she experiences many other instances of racism, including an old white woman who shortens her name to "Mary," hence reducing her name to a more common one; white speakers at a graduation ceremony who disparage the black audience by implying their limited job opportunities, and the white town dentist's refusal to operate on Marguerite's rotting tooth, even when Momma reminds him of a loan he owed her.
Finally, when even her brother Bailey is disturbed by the discovery of the corpse of a black man that some white men took pleasure in seeing, Momma decides to move the family to live permanently with their mother in San Francisco, California for their mental well-being.
Marguerite, now more frequently called "Maya," enters adolescence, but not without awkwardness. She becomes worried that she might be a lesbian (which she equates with being a hermaphrodite), and initiates sexual intercourse with a teenage boy she knows only vaguely to dispel this fear. The encounter causes her to become pregnant which she hides from her family until in her eighth month of pregnancy to be able to graduate from high school. Maya gives birth to a beautiful baby boy and begins her trek to adulthood by accepting her role as a mother to her newborn son.
[edit] Literary significance and criticism
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has been called Maya Angelou's "magnum opus" and "a modern classic among young adult and adult readers."[2] Poet James Bertolino asserts that it "is one of the essential books produced by our culture, and we should all read it, especially our children."[3] It was nominated for a National Book Award in 1970[2]; in 1995, Angelou's publishing company, Bantam Books, recognized her for having the longest-running record (two years) on The New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Bestseller List.[4] The title of Caged Bird was parodied in the Season 19 episode of the television series The Simpsons, "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."[5]
One of Caged Bird's most outspoken praises comes from James Baldwin, Angelou's friend and mentor: "This testimony from a black sister marks the beginning of an era in the minds and hearts and lives of all black men and women ... Her portrait is a Biblical study of life in the midst of death."[2]
In spite of such critical acclaim, the book has been criticized by many parents, causing its removal from school curriculum and library shelves. "Parents, schools and related organizations have argued that the book encourages deviant behavior because of its references to lesbianism, premarital sex, cohabitation, pornography and violence."[6] Censors have also been critical of its "sexually explicit scenes, foul language, and irreverent religious depictions."[7] As a result, Caged Bird has been the frequent target of censors and appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 at number three.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ Smith, Dinitia. "A career in letters, 50 years and counting", The New York Times, 2007-01-23. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
- ^ a b c About the novel: Critical assessment. Cliffs Notes. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- ^ Bertolino, James (1996), "Maya Angelou is three writers", in Bloom, Harold, Modern critical interpretations: Maya Angelou's I know why the caged bird sings, New York, N.Y.: Chelsea House Publishers, ISBN 0-7910-4773-3.
- ^ Biography Information. Maya Angelou Official Website. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.
- ^ Canning, Robert. The Simpsons: "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" review. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-07.
- ^ Maya Angelou, I know why the caged bird sings. National Coalition Against Censorship. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
- ^ Foerstel, Herbert N. (2002). Banned in the U.S.A.: A reference guide to book censorship in schools and public libraries. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 195-196. ISBN 1593113749.
- ^ The 100 most frequently challenged books of 1990–2000. American Library Association. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
