Why The Caged Bird Sings, prevails in moments where
             metaphors correspond perfectly to the emotions of Maya Angelou's
             relationship with Annie Henderson, her grandmother, whom Angelou referred
             to as Momma Henderson. It is distinctly exemplified when three white girls
             perform a handstand pantyless in front of Momma Henderson revealing their
             power of white sexuality in front of a superior woman. Momma just hymns a
             song showing her granddaughter how to react to the ridicules of the
             "powhitetrash." Steven Butterfeld of American Writers views Momma's
             reaction as a victory in self control(American Writers 3). Angelou exhibits
             a similar spirit when describing her visit with Momma to a white dentist who
             reveals that he would rather put his hands in a dog's mouth than a
             niggers(Contemporary Literary Criticism 12 12). The appalling parallel
             between the "dog" and the "nigger" narrates the account of dehumanization
             The most powerful emotional response in the first autobiography, I
             Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, is Angelou's contrary speech after being
             raped by her mothers lover. On page four of American Writers the author
             describes the speech in the language used by Angelou describing the tragic
             is the matter of the needle giving
             and the mind of the violator cannot.
             This phrase suggests that not a single person could fathom the pain
             that the rape caused her because, not only has she experienced sexual
             abuse, but she has also received a lifetime of pain prior to this occurrence.
             Furthermore, Angelou is expressing how she feels about one who performs
             this abominable assault, clarifying the mental disorders
             ...