I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Maya Angelou
- First Published: 1970
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: 1930’s-1940’s
- Setting: Arkansas, Missouri, and California
- Principal Characters: Marguerite (Maya) Johnson, Bailey Johnson, Jr., Annie Henderson, Uncle Willie, Vivian Baxter Johnson, Bailey Johnson, Sr.
- Genres: Nonfiction, Autobiography
- Subjects: African Americans, Maturation or coming of age, Family or family life, Memory, Adolescence, Murder or homicide, South or Southerners, 1940’s, Prejudices or antipathies, Manners or customs, Social life, 1930’s, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, Small-town life, Youth
- Locales: St. Louis, MO, Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, Stamps, AR
The Story:
Marguerite and Bailey, Jr. were sent by their newly divorced parents to Stamps, Arkansas, when they were three and four, respectively, to live with their grandmother, Momma. Momma, a staid Christian woman, owned the William Johnson General Merchandise Store that made a solid living for her and her crippled son, Willie. She set, in her no-nonsense way, about raising her grandchildren to use their minds, mind their manners, and survive in the Depression-era South.
Marguerite and Bailey were bright children. They soon took pleasure in learning to read and do...
[The entire page is 2729 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
