Encounter with Martin Luther King Jr. After Reading Study Set

When Angelou enters her office and sees King, she describes her hero as a "lion sitting down at my dining room table eating a plate of mustard greens." What does she mean by this?

A lion, a brave, magnanimous, and courageous figure, but doing something ordinary as a humble human being that is down to earth.

Why is Angelou afraid to tell King about her brother?

She is afraid to tell King that her brother is in jail because she is afraid she might lose his respect or even her own job.

Why did King want to meet Angelou?

She was positively writing about MLK, and therefore he wanted to get to know her better, and vice versa. He wanted to compliment her good work.

What three words or phrases would you use to describe King's personality?

Down to Earth "As I talked, he nodded as if he knew them personally" "He had an easy friendliness" "Personal sadness he showed as I spoke" Sympathetic "Sympathy and sadness kept his voice low" Articulate "Disappointment drives our young men to desperate measures"

Why do you think King's comments about Angelou's brother helped Angelou stop worrying so much, or, in her words, "thrust away the small constant worry" she had felt since her mother left her?

It helped Angelou stop worrying because he is a generous man and he will understand her. By putting her at ease because it reassured her that his brother's minor crime. She had confidence in Martin to wipe out racism. It reassured all the insecurities she had about that aspect of her life. She feels understood and at peace.

What joke does King play on Maya Angelou?

King plays the joke of sitting alone in Angelou's office.

Which side of King, the "fighting preacher" or the tender young man, do you think meant the most to Angelou?

The tender young man because it showed her another side of him as if he knew her personally. That side of gave her confidence in her insecurities. "I looked at him and thought about the good-looking school athlete." It made him more normal and approachable. The fighting preacher did not mean more to her because he had approached her in a friendly way. But, she could still see the fight for equality within him in a very peaceful manner. From the new, everybody knows MLK as a fighting preacher, but once she sat down with him, she unveiled a new side to him that emotionally affected her more personally.