A patriarchy is a system in which men are in control, and Angelou's poem "Caged Bird" could be read to mean that women in society are trapped like birds in a cage. This metaphor of the caged bird makes the point that women are not allowed true freedom because they are subordinate creatures in a male-dominated power structure. Not only are women in a cage, their cage is "narrow," which means that their rights are severely restricted due to their position as second class citizens in comparison to men.

Angelou also emphasizes the limitations placed on women due to their gender when she states further signs of oppression in addition to the bird's cage. For example, the bird is also restrained due to the fact that its "wings are clipped" and its "feet are tied."

Furthermore, Angelou uses the metaphor of a caged bird to relay that men who keep women in positions of servitude also take away women's rights to true happiness. This is seen when Angelou states that the bird craves to explore the outer world but cannot. The bird's "longing" for "things unknown" represents a woman's unfulfilled desire to explore her true potential and to find her place in the world. The fact that the bird "stands on a grave of dreams" reveals that because women are not allowed independence, their greatest hopes and desires will never be realized. The description of the bird singing in a "fearful trill" also reveals women were imprisoned by fear of the males against which they would have to stand in order to secure their own freedom. For instance, women's desires to be free were often suppressed because they were afraid of the punishments men would inflict on them if they attempted to rebel.