I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings;Quote Log
...a black child and young adult. “ A light shade had been pulled down between the Black community and all things white, but one could see through it enough to develop fear-admiration-contempt for the white ‘things’.” (Pg 49) It’s very apparent the Maya Angelou is also guilty of ignorance. She allows herself to stero-type whites the same as they did to blacks. She knows almost nothing about white people, and although that is clearly not her fault; she still makes assumptions. In this passage, she again shows the separation of race in Stamps and the way that the black community regarded the whites. Her expressed view of white “things”, defines perhaps not contempt for white people, but an ignorance that will cloud her perception of reality. “There was an army of adults, whose motives and movements I just couldn’t understand and who made no effort to understand mine.” (Pg 74) Maya expresses this view after Mr. Freeman raped her. She is very confused about what exactly happened to her because she is such a young child. She is baffled at why Mr. Freeman seems to be ignoring her presence. Maya’s rape is probably one of the things that most effects her in life. Because of this act performed upon her, she questions herself further and the people around her. “But bear in mind, language is man’s way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language alone which separates him form the lower animals.” (Pg 98) The first person that inspired Maya to express herself verbally as a means of showing her intelligence, was Mrs. Flowers. She was a very influential person to Maya and perhaps could be responsible for her pursuit of education and literature. Because Mrs. Flowers appears to be educated, Maya is embarrassed when Momma speaks informally to her. She assumes that Momma is ignorant and isn’t equal to Mrs. Flowers. Mrs. Flowers begins to preach to Maya the importance of speech and instills in her this appreciation. “My race groaned. It was our people falling. It was another lynching, yet another Black man hanging on a tree. One more woman ambushed and raped. A Black boy whipped and maimed. It was hounds on the trail of a man running through slimy swamps. It was a white woman slapping her maid for being forgetful.” (Pg 135) This quote is not only significant to Maya’s life, but also a part of history. Joe Louis and Carnera engage in a boxing match. This is important to Maya’s community because if Joe wins it will prove that black people may be victorious over whites, but if he loses it will just fulfill the caste of the time period. Joe Louis is victorious and the community finds hope and faith in this event. Along with hope and faith come the fear of the white people becoming angry and striking out against the black community. Maya believes that Joe has proved that blacks are the strongest people in the world, also giving her hope and strength. “The ugliness they left was palpable. An uninvited guest who wouldn’t leave.” (Pg 181) At Maya’s graduation a guest speaker, Donleavy, speaks to her graduating class. He speaks to them in a very condescending manner. This influences Maya’s view of herself. Donleavy speaks as if their only aspirations are to be handymen, farmers, and washerwomen. Maya believes that she will amount to nothing; however, some of her hope is restored when the choir begins to sing and she realizes, through the words of the song, how strong black people are. This boost of confidence helps Maya to understand that black people are strong in other ways than white people and that her life shouldn’t be based on others opinions. “We are the victims of the world’s most comprehensive robbery. Life demands a balance. It’s all right if we do a little robbi...