I know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a fascinating eye opener to the Jim Crow period in the New South. It has a greater impact than textbooks on what it was like to be African American at that time in history because it is a story of real experiences that appeals to the readers' emotions like no history textbook ever can. While Maya Angelou's story is unique in that her experiences are hers alone, it is also a universal story that shows how black people were treated during that period and likewise how that affected their views of the world and, consequently, of themselves.
             The Jim Crow period can be defined as "the systematic practice of promoting the segregation of the Negro peoples: favoring or promoting the segregation of the Negroes." Jim Crow Laws were laws created for the ultimate purpose of keeping blacks and whites segregated. At the time they used the phrase "separate but equal," however that wasn't really the case: African Americans were not viewed by most whites to be truly equal citizens; they were instead looked down upon. In Maya Angelou's autobiographical novel, she illustrates for her readers the experiences she went through as a black girl growing up in the United States during the time of segregation.
             The two characters that stand out most for me in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" are Marguerite, naturally, because she is the main character, and Momma because she was the main caregiver who Maya spent years with and who had a great influence on Maya's life. Momma, unlike Maya's mother, lived in the South all her life. She knows of all the struggle, hard work, determination, and faith that living in Stamps, Arkansas requires. She is a strong person who believes in obedience and good will. She loves Marguerite and never hesitates to teach her a lesson in life. Momma is a stable, reliable person that Maya knows she can always depend on to be wise and strong.
             Two episodes, in particular, in the novel stand out mo...