i know why the caged bird sings summary
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When Maya Angelou was three years old and her brother was four, they were sent from their father in California to their paternal grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. Their grandmother runs a store there, which is the center of life in the Negro community of the town. Maya starts reading and enjoying literature while she is in Stamps, Shakespeare especially, along with prominent black writers.
Maya talks about her great love for her brother. They are opposite in appearance, with him being more attractive and graceful; but despite their differences, their friendship is vitally important to the young Maya.
Angelou tells of how her grandmother's unfailing subservience around every white person angers her. A few poor white girls mock Momma, and then one does a handstand, showing off the fact that she isn't wearing any underwear. Maya is enraged at the girls' behavior, but Momma stands there and acts politely toward them.
The depression hits Stamps, and leads to difficulty making ends meet. Momma is able to keep the store going through a system of trade. Christmas comes, and Maya and Bailey get presents from their parents, who they hadn't heard from for years. Neither of them wanted to be reminded of being sent away, and become sad thinking about it.
Maya and Bailey's father comes to Stamps the next year, and it is hard for them to face their father. When he leaves, he takes Maya and Bailey with him, which makes them feel wanted again. But they soon find out he is leaving them with a mother that they don't even know. When they finally do meet their mother, though, they are completely taken with her; this soothes Maya and Bailey's sadness at being abandoned by their father.
Maya and Bailey find that the big city and its people are nothing like those of Stamps. Angelou describes the extended family there, including another grandmother, and her mother's three ruthless, bad-tempered brothers. Maya and Bailey live with their mother and their mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman.
Mr. Freeman molests Maya one morning, and she is stunned by the experience. He threatens to kill Bailey if she ever tells, which scares Maya into silence. Later, Mr. Freeman rapes her when no one else is home, and Maya is both physically and emotionally crushed. Even before her mother finds out, Mr. Freeman is sent packing; Maya is resolved to stay quiet. Then her brother and mother find her stained panties, and know what happened to her.
Mr. Freeman is arrested and is put on trial. At the trial, Mr. Freeman's lawyer asks Maya whether Mr. Freeman had touched her before, she lies and says no because she feels she has to. She feels worse about this lie than anything else. When she hears that Mr. Freeman was beaten to death, she feels so badly about this lie that she decides to stop talking to everyone but Bailey. Then, she and Bailey are sent back to Stamps, perhaps because of Maya's muteness.
Maya and Bailey become a curiosity to the people of Stamps, who come by to see them and ask them about the city. Life becomes muted and pale to Maya, and she is mute for a few years, not saying anything to anyone other than Bailey. One day, a graceful, proper woman named Mrs. Flowers invites Maya to her house to have a talk. Mrs. Flowers says that although Maya does good work in school, she needs to talk; Mrs. Flowers stresses that spoken language is essential. Mrs. Flowers sends Maya home with books, expecting her to read them aloud. Maya finally regains the will to speak, and feels very special at being noticed and taught by Mrs. Flowers
Maya talks about her great love for her brother. They are opposite in appearance, with him being more attractive and graceful; but despite their differences, their friendship is vitally important to the young Maya.
Angelou tells of how her grandmother's unfailing subservience around every white person angers her. A few poor white girls mock Momma, and then one does a handstand, showing off the fact that she isn't wearing any underwear. Maya is enraged at the girls' behavior, but Momma stands there and acts politely toward them.
The depression hits Stamps, and leads to difficulty making ends meet. Momma is able to keep the store going through a system of trade. Christmas comes, and Maya and Bailey get presents from their parents, who they hadn't heard from for years. Neither of them wanted to be reminded of being sent away, and become sad thinking about it.
Maya and Bailey's father comes to Stamps the next year, and it is hard for them to face their father. When he leaves, he takes Maya and Bailey with him, which makes them feel wanted again. But they soon find out he is leaving them with a mother that they don't even know. When they finally do meet their mother, though, they are completely taken with her; this soothes Maya and Bailey's sadness at being abandoned by their father.
Maya and Bailey find that the big city and its people are nothing like those of Stamps. Angelou describes the extended family there, including another grandmother, and her mother's three ruthless, bad-tempered brothers. Maya and Bailey live with their mother and their mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman.
Mr. Freeman molests Maya one morning, and she is stunned by the experience. He threatens to kill Bailey if she ever tells, which scares Maya into silence. Later, Mr. Freeman rapes her when no one else is home, and Maya is both physically and emotionally crushed. Even before her mother finds out, Mr. Freeman is sent packing; Maya is resolved to stay quiet. Then her brother and mother find her stained panties, and know what happened to her.
Mr. Freeman is arrested and is put on trial. At the trial, Mr. Freeman's lawyer asks Maya whether Mr. Freeman had touched her before, she lies and says no because she feels she has to. She feels worse about this lie than anything else. When she hears that Mr. Freeman was beaten to death, she feels so badly about this lie that she decides to stop talking to everyone but Bailey. Then, she and Bailey are sent back to Stamps, perhaps because of Maya's muteness.
Maya and Bailey become a curiosity to the people of Stamps, who come by to see them and ask them about the city. Life becomes muted and pale to Maya, and she is mute for a few years, not saying anything to anyone other than Bailey. One day, a graceful, proper woman named Mrs. Flowers invites Maya to her house to have a talk. Mrs. Flowers says that although Maya does good work in school, she needs to talk; Mrs. Flowers stresses that spoken language is essential. Mrs. Flowers sends Maya home with books, expecting her to read them aloud. Maya finally regains the will to speak, and feels very special at being noticed and taught by Mrs. Flowers
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i know why the caged bird sings summary
its not a question pls refer a meaningless questions
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its not a question pls refer a meaningless questions
ok
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