Caged bird info
Stamps, Arkansas
(a Microcosm for the whole South) -South-depicted as stagnant -Typical southern state in the Jim-Crow era- incredibly segregated and racist -ex: Arkansas was where the little rock crisis happened in 1957- became known as one of the the most racist states internationally -Interesting is that throughout this memoir we hear the story of a tiny and very real town in Arkansas- insight into how all these stories about Arkansas were basically true -was like a land without time-progress did not exist ("sameness wheel" as described by Angelou in Chapter 17) -KKK (described as "the boys") still roamed the street
San Francisco
(during WW2-city/state in total upheaval) -The first place Maya calls home (city that was always changing- in flux) -Japanese population began to disappear (result of the executive order of 9066)- made sure that the black population had a place to be- maya had a community (like stamps) but also excitement (like St. Louis)- interesting as we see Maya as a child turning a blind eye on racism as it doesn't affect her-even benefits her. -The place we see black people advancing
Momma
(my favourite character) (Annie Henderson) -Bailey and Maya's paternal grandmother -Unusually well off black store owner -Devoutly religious -Strict, yet ruthlessly protective of her grandkids -Only sends them away when it becomes clear that Arkansas is an unsafe place for them -Only black store owner in town- deeply respected in the town -Highlights the inequality of success in white and black culture- how Momma obviously had a talent for resilience and determination, however the best thing she could do with her life was become a store owner
A Woman's Story
-1970: Fruitful period for black women writers -describes a coming of age story- not a fully flourishing story -writing about being raped- momentous turning point in women's autobiographical writing -dispels stereotypes about black women by describing her somewhat disjointed family
Then and now
-Adult maya is telling us a story about kid Maya (really important to remember when reading the memoir) -Kid maya is silent for most of the story with adult maya describing what she was going through with complex literary techniques and prose -Highlights how this is a story of Maya looking back at her memories and analysing them, telling us how how she felt during the time and how she feels now- gives us perspective
Uncle Willie
-Bailey and Maya's crippled uncle -Lives with Momma in Arkansas -Quite character, keeps a low profile -But is harassed for his combination of being black and having a disability- he has to hide in a basket (?) all night to prevent being lynched (evokes a lot of sympathy) - highlights the ruthlessness of the jim crow south
Mother (Vivian Baxter)
-Bailey and Maya's mother -Beautiful, light-skinned woman -According to Maya: Looks likes a "movie star" -Dates various men throughout the book -Full of life and cares deeply for her children -Maya thanks her in her "acknowledgments" for "encouraging her to remember"
Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
-How sex and gender influence experience and identity -Maya recognises that being a girl is kind of a disadvantage- wishes occasionally to be a boy- the novels she reads, men are heroes and protagonists -Explains how she is tormented by her own "ugliness" -Maya's rape and her struggle to recover emotionally and physically- center of a discussion of sex, gender, and violence -Maya feels guilty and responsibility for her own rape- evokes sympathy from us -Momma had always told her to "keep her legs closed" -Her relationship with sex and sexuality are complicated by this -An investigation of how inequality- both racial and sexual- shape experience and identity -Her sexuality is yet another inequality she is faced with in her life -Battles with teen pregnancy- how her own ignorance on the matter drastically affected her life- comment on the importance of sexual education and how little she received
Mexico
-Less of a place, more of an experience -Dad is drunk, she doesn't know anyone, can't properly communicate- forces Maya into her first act of independence- big deal- we see the maya we know today
Big Bailey
-Maya and Bailey's father -Strikingly handsome, larger than life -Lives in California (foreign and exciting for Maya) -Maya cares for but doesn't really see as a father as a result of events such as her going to Mexico and having to look after him- almost friends or as if Maya is more mature than him- explains the effect of being separated from your parents at a young age
St Louis
-Maya describes it as a "foreign country" -North- depicted as a magical mystery land: "St Louis was a new kind of hot, a new kind of dirty" Very different from Stamps... -Stamps: full of heavily religious people, St Louis: full of gamblers, drinkers, prostitutes -Stamps: everyone preserved their food together, St Louis: all food came packaged and already cooked-sense of disconnection/mystery
Race, Inequality, and Identity
-Maya grows up in the segregated American south- Caged bird not just an investigation of the history and effects of segregation- It is an incisive and honest examination of race, inequality and identity -*Momma- teaches Maya to fear and avoid white people think of them as godless they are not to be trusted Also teaches Maya to never speak disrespectfully to a white person Even if the person is "powhitetrash" (white person not of stature) -Maya describes the reality that is interacting with a white person in segregated America- KKK referred to as "the boys" by the town sheriff Insulting a white person (even unintentionally) is fatal -*However, this internalised hatred towards white people is accompanied with Maya's wish to be white- they are prettier, richer, and happier treated more fairly don't live in fear of racism "I was really white and because a cruel fairy stepmother" *Highlights the paradox within the segregated system, how there are these deep rooted hatreds of the other race either side The complex hierarchy within the black community... -Light skinned blacks- superior to dark skinned black people -Ex. Maya's mother is light skinned- Maya thinks she is "too pretty" to be a mother- Maya is rationalising he own rejection by appealing to general culture -Maya is jealous of the lighter skinned or biracial kids -Uncle Willie- even more discriminated because he is crippled- highlights how being black was seen as a disability- something to physically hold you back -Maybe the most important accomplishment of this memoir- it is a nuanced, honest, and unflinching portrayal and the consequences it implements throughout America -This struggle played an integral role in shaping her as a person
Bailey Jr
-Maya's older brother -Maya and Bailey have a special kind of bond- they had the same upbringing, however had different personalities -Maya trusts him more than anyone -His experiences growing up in the Jim Crow south demonstrate the particular challenges and indignities endured by black men in america
Maya Angelou
-Narrator and main character -Tracks her life from when she was in early childhood (names Margarite Johnson), to when she gave birth to her first and only child at the age of 16 -Smart, inquisitive (drives a car without knowing how) with a passion for written and spoken language (Mrs. Flowers) -In a way, this is the story of how and why Maya became a poet
Religion
-Plays a complex role in Maya's upbringing... The church is a kind of sanctuary for the adults in the book Maya is often intimidated and associates it with punishment "by the way" (not knowing that in means "by the way of God") and laughing (whipping) and peeing in church -Importance of religion for black southerners made clear early in the book -Seen as a sanctuary for their displaced and disenfranchised people -Brings every black person in town together -Strong sense of community and hope -However Momma installs the importance of faith through discipline -Both the whippings stand out in her childhood memory- had a significant effect -Enforces religious moral codes on herself from a young age- says her favourite book in the bible is "Deuteronomy" because it gives clear instructions for how to life a "sin-free and virtuous life" -Maya recognises that religion can foster its own kind of ignorance and passivity- that is a dangerous thing
The storyteller
-She describes a lot, but she never wastes her words! -Her prose are beautiful and flowery, but there is always a meaning behind what she is describing- there is always a reason why -Gives us as a reader and in depth analysis/insight into what life was like for a black girl in Jim Crow times, how even as a kid she recognised that she was being discriminated upon
The Train
-Symbol of displacement -Maya describes her journeys in great length... -Bailey and Maya ride the train by themselves with the tickets pinned on Bailey's coat (depiction of almost paddington bear type characters- sympathy) when they are sent away by their parents -They ride the train again to and from St. Louis -Finally on the train to California (Bailey is threatened and Momma makes them move) -Fill her with a sense of loss, possibility, longing and fear -Serve as a reminder of how as a Black girl in america, she cannot have a secure home like others do
Momma's Store
-The store: the hub of Stamps and the centre of Maya's life in Arkansas, everyone seems to visit it at least- we as the readers get the sense of community -The store: Maya's "favourite place to be" -Figure of Momma's black prominence and strength- She is the only black store owner in town -Gives us a sense of a black community that sticks together and helps each other out But... -The store also serves as a reminder of racial inequality- even though it allowed Momma to loan money to others, it could not help Maya be seen by the white dentist- the store can only do so much -Source of strength in the world where strength is necessary for survival -Symbol of how even the most successful black people can only get so far -Symbol of the black life in the south- you had a community but were constantly discriminated
Mr. Freeman
-Vivien's life in boyfriend in St. Louis, Maya and Bailey live with him for a few months (Maya is 8) -He sexually assaults Maya, escalating to rape (tells her that if she cries he will "kill" her and if tells anyone he will "kill Bailey"-highlights have everyone knows that Maya cares for Bailey even more than herself?) -Maya eventually does tell her brother -Mr. Freeman is kicked out of the house, sent to jail, and then is eventually killed by an unknown someone (probably Vivian's brother) before he can serve his sentence -Shows how there was not only racism as a problem for people during these times- also the prospect of rape being frequent and shootings -Also introduces us to this story possibly being a rape survivor's story (see 'ways you could see the book'- the prominent effect this event can have on someone like Maya
Literary biography
-describes her early childhood- account -includes literary techniques etc.
Traditional African American autobiography
-describes the struggles she and others were forced to overcome as a result of their skin colour
Female coming of age story
-how her somewhat disjointed childhood shaped her -how she never felt really settled until in san francisco
Rape survivor's story
-how she was mute (accept for bailey) for five years- her voice had killed him -how she slowly recovered -how she ended up having a child
Originally published
1969
MLK Shot
April 4th 1968 (Angelo's 40th birthday)
Angelou was born
April 4th, 1928
Angleou died
May 28th, 2014
Chapter 26
Maya and Bailey in Los Angeles
Chapter 27 -- Chapter 29
Maya and Bailey in San Francisco
Chapter 33 -- Chapter 36
Maya and Bailey in San Francisco
Chapter 9 -- Chapter 13
Maya and Bailey in Stamps
Introduction -- Chapter 8
Maya and Bailey's early childhood in Stamps
Chapter 14 -- Chapter 25
Maya and Bailey's tweens in Stamps
Chapter 30 -- Chapter 32
Maya's summer with Big Bailey