Essay About Maya Angelou And Naive Girl

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
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Maya Angelous I Know Why Caged Bird Sings illustrates how an innocent
and naive girl growing up in the midst of the Great Depression overcomes lifes
many obstacles and becomes the powerful and influential woman she is today.
Maya is a world renowned author, teacher, speaker, actress, and mother. Through
this autobiographical piece, Mayas use of figurative language and allusion
compounds her thoughts, as she depicts how one can supersede the expected
barriers and soar to new heights..
In chapters 14 and 15 of the book, Mayas usage of figurative language
conveys her struggle to speak. Through a tragic rape by her mothers boyfriend,
Maya is scared for life and is led to believe that the very sound of her voice
is lethal, consequently, she conceives a six year silence that, not knowing then,
could limit her opportunities and convert her fate. After returning from St.
Louis and entering Stamps, Maya entered her six year “cocoon.” This haven
extricated her metamorphic spurt into reality and womanhood. As with every
cocoon, there is always a time when one must leave and bravely enter the unknown
world behind the shell. Mrs. Flowers encouraged Maya to emerge and assisted her
in finding her strongest defense and force, her love of literature, to open this
barrier and allow Maya to end the silence. By doing this, it enhanced Mayas
courage and willingness to conquer other barriers and fortresses. Mayas love of
literature expanded and opened her horizons. One of Mayas favorite pieces of
literature is The Tale of Two Cities. She enjoyed it because it was a tale of
her life, although in different cities, now being St. Louis and Stamps, it
seemed as if she was reading her own autobiography, which is, in fact, rather
portentous and foreshadowing. With the first line of the book being, “it was the
best of times and the worst of times”, it paints a portrait of Mayas
childhood. Maya, even though she struggled through adolescence, was the best
times of her life. It was her learning period. It was