Реферат: I Know Why The Cage Birds Sing

- Louise Kendricks – Maya?s first real friend

- Bootsie -leader of the junkyard community which Maya is a part of after running away

4) Conflict ?I? 1

Human vs. Society

As a child, Maya had to live with her grandmother because of her parents divorce. After a long period of not hearing from her parents she neglects the fact that they even live. When they come back in her life, she doesn?t get along with them. Because of this she never really feels accepted by anyone.

5) Conflict ?I? 2

Human vs. Herself

As Maya grew in age she suffered a lot of emotional damage due to her opposing views and unfortunate events while she was growing up. She was abandoned by her parents, raped at the age of eight by her mother?s boyfriend, living during a war, and being a black girl.

6) Plot ?I? 1

- Maya and Bailey are sent to live with their grandmother Annie Henderson and her son Willie in Stamps, Arkansas.

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- Momma Henderson sold lunches to the cotton laborers before they began their grueling work to be underpaid. People who stereotyped the cotton pickers as being happy and cheerful always enraged Maya.

- While black men had a very difficult time supporting themselves, Willie was paralyzed He tired to hide his handicap in front of two strangers, when Maya saw this it made her feel closer to him.

- The white former sheriff Mr. Stewart came to warn Momma that some white people were enraged because a black man messed with a white woman. Momma hid Willie in the potato and onion bins because they might take their anger out on him, luckily that was not the case.

- While Maya was insulted for her appearance, Bailey was always complimented. Bailey always protected her from the offending person.

- Three poor white children mocked came into Momma?s store and mocked her stance and gestures. One of the older girls did a handstand and showed that she wore no underwear. Momma did nothing but hum. Maya realized that she had done a good thing.

- Reverend Howard Thomas visits Stamps every three months and stays with Momma on Saturdays and delivers a sermon on Sunday. Maya and Bailey don?t like him because he eats better than them at dinner.

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- Sister Monroe got overexcited in church and ruined Reverend Taylor’s suit while shouting “Preach it.” Maya and Bailey found it hilarious until Willie gave them a whipping.

- On Christmas, Maya and Bailey’s parents sent them presents. The children went outside to cry, wondering why they were sent away. Momma thought they were being ungrateful. Later they destroyed the blond, blue- eye China doll their mother sent her.

- Big Bailey, the children’s father visited Stamps. Maya was surprised how big he was, how handsome he was, him owning a car, and how he spoke like a white. He drove them to St. Louis to see their mother, Vivian. She seemed depressed. Her beauty surprised Maya too. Bailey resembled her in physical beauty and personality and is able to talk to his father well. He left three days later but Maya was not to upset because he was like a stranger.

- Grandmother Baxter was like a white person. Germans raised her. St. Louis was in the prime of Prohibition. Bailey and Maya met underground organized crime figures. Grandmother Baxter entertained these men.

- Vivian’s brothers had city jobs and had a bad reputation. They fought both whites and black. Bailey and Maya lived with their grandparents for six months before moving in with Vivian and her boyfriend, Mr. Freeman.

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7) Plot ?I? 2

- Vivian worked in a gambling parlor. Mr. Freeman always waited for her to come home at night. One day after Vivian had left the house, Mr. Freeman molested Maya. He threatened to kill Bailey if she told anyone. He avoided her for weeks before he did it again and ignored her for weeks after that.

- Maya began to read a lot of books and started wishing she was a boy because her heroes from the books she read were all boys.

- After Maya returned from buying milk, Mr. Freeman raped her and threatened to kill her if she screamed and kill Bailey if she told anyone. After suffering intense pain, Maya went home from the library that she was sent to by Mr. Freeman. She hid her underwear under her mattress. Mr. Freeman left the next mourning. Bailey found the panties under the mattress.

- Maya named the rapist as Mr. Freeman in the hospital and he was arrested. After a hearing, Mr. Freeman was sentenced to one year. Bailey and Angelou moved back with Grandmother Baxter. A policeman later told Grandmother Baxter that Mr. Freeman was beaten to death.