From I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
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From I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
“Her face was a brown moon that shone on me. She was beautiful. Something had happened out there, which I couldn’t completely understand, but I could see that she was happy” (45).
Angelou’s family were good, god-fearing people. They didn’t deserve mistreatment from anyone, much less dirty, cruel children. Not only did this mistreatment happen, but it happened often, and these moments broke Angelou. These moments, this treatment, the terrible words, and embarrassment never broke Momma. In this quote, we see Momma’s strength. She sees so clearly her own self worth. Perhaps it is her deep faith that keeps her so grounded in this awful event. Words and actions of hate seem to have no effect on her, and if it does, she refuses to let her child see it. I believe this sense of unbreaking knowledge of self-worth is very real, and that is what makes this moment so unbelievable and miracle-like to Maya as she looks into the eyes of someone so genuinely strong.
Seeing someone you love and respect be humiliated or taunted can evoke many emotions; Maya felt pure rage towards the “powhitetrash” (42) that were so cruel to Momma. Maya lived in dread of when those “powhitetrash” (42) would come and ruin her day, but Momma is unmoved. She has been at the receiving end of so much tribulation that she is used to it. She doesn’t live in dread of the children’s arrival, she doesn’t shake and cower to their commands, or embarrass herself by entertaining their malicious words. Momma is firm like a rock, and her soul seems more free.
I think this comparison between the strength of Momma against the chaos of the “powhitetrash” (42) is a core memory for Maya because she sees a future in Momma she wants for herself. She wants to one day be strong and unmoved in the face of adversity. She wants to be free from her own fears and humiliation, just like her grandmother in this moment.
I think that family and relationships was a huge part of the excerpt that we read. Angelou did a great job of adding detail and imagery to further explain these said relationships. You did a good job of highlighting the relationship between her and her mother. Another bond that was very powerful that stood out to me was between Angelou and her brother, Bailey. I think that growing up, her and her brother had the greatest bond in her family.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! Although it's not what I focused on in my blog post, I did love the story about how she and Bailey laughed so hard at church. I agree that family relationships are huge in this book. Her households customs and expectations are a deep part of who Maya is. These relationships give us more insight into her personality and perspective.
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