I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing
One would agree with James Baldwin's statement about the power of language in the context of Maya Angelou's amazing book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Summarily, James Baldwin was quoted talking about how a person's language can be a "vivid and crucial key to identity," and that when you speak, your dialect gives away "your parents, your youth, your school, your salary, your self-esteem, and, alas, your future." Maya Angelou celebrated this idea in her autobiography about growing up in Stamps, Arkansas with the characterization of two main characters: Momma and Mrs. Flowers. Maya Angelou was such a fantastic writer herself that her personality and language transcended the words on the page and spoke to the reader, but even more importantly, her characters were able to speak for themselves. As a reader enjoys Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, he is able to create a strong bond between himself and the characters in the story because Maya Angelou captures each character's essence through her language and actions. Maya was able to represent Momma's character especially wel
Flowers told her that even though Momma talked the way she did, she was still one of the smartest women in all of Stamps, Arkansas. Flowers sent Maya home with a stack of books and directions to read them aloud, only after this powerful lesson in language did Maya decide to regain the courage to speak again. l because the reader knew that Momma always meant business and that when she said something, she would put a little something extra behind her words. Maya Angelou demonstrated the language of her characters by recording the words as they would sound to a person who was standing there listening to the conversation. One would feel that Maya Angelou would support James Baldwin's statement about the power of language and how each person's distinct dialect is representative of who they are, where they have been, and ultimately, where they are going. Flowers' confidence showed though the dialogue created by Maya Angelou. The reader also knew that even though Momma might have spoke and acted like a elementary school educated black woman from the South, she was full of ultimate wisdom and advice for Maya at any time of the day. Flowers, and Maya reflected their inner selves and was an indicator to the outside world of how they really feel on the inside. Flowers on the other hand felt very confident in herself because she knew that she was revered by many because of her education. Flowers was also one of the most influential characters in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," because she was able to move Maya with her incredible language and teach her the poems and literature that would make her a powerful writer. This technique is very effective in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings because the reader expects the characters to have a Southern accent since the story takes place in Stamps, Arkansas, so Maya attempts to tell the story as if the reader were actually present in Momma's store in Stamps.
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Acceptance Essays
