I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | Essays and Criticism

  • The Fight against Racism

    Eller is an assistant professor of English at Northeast Louisiana University. In the following essay, he examines how the autobiographical story of Marguerite Johnson can stand in for the larger experience of African Americans fighting racism.

  • Learning to Live, When the Bird Breaks from the Cage

    In this excerpt, Moore enumerates the challenges that have been brought forth against I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and explains why she believes it to be a positive reading experience for young people.

  • Role-Playing as Art in Maya Angelou's Caged Bird

    In this excerpt, McMurry explores the image of the caged bird as a symbol of Angelou's struggle for self-realization in spite of the rigid roles that threatened her individuality.