I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Wouldn't they be surprised when one day I woke out of my black ugly dream, and my real hair, which was long and blond, would take the place of the kinky mass that Momma wouldn't let me straighten? (2).

The book ends with Maya proudly giving birth to a child of her own, and with a powerful and liberating awareness of her own identity as a black woman:

The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and even belligerence. It is seldom accepted as an inevitable outcome of the struggle won by survivors and deserves respect if not enthusiastic acceptance (231).

This enlightenment is the reward of Maya's having endured and overcome the suffering she experiences as a young black female unhappy with her own identity. This suffering is especially intense for young Maya because of her great sensitivity: "If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult" (3).

Maya finds solace and hope not only in her own strength to endure suffering, but in the field of literature in which she would later find expression for her

. . .
an, and the mind of the violator cannot (65). The rape and its aftermath of suffering are made even worse when Maya blames herself for the murder of the rapist at the hands of avengers. Again, the idea is presented that the young black female is a victim without power, a helpless creature who can only endure her despair and hope and pray that one day it will end somehow. Certainly a part of the message of the book is that what does not kill one will make one stronger, but this message hardly suffices in easing the suffering while it is taking place. The only solace is that Maya did survive her great pain and emerged as a strong and proud black woman who is able to use her mind and vision to express hope and joy not only for herself but for any other human being, male or female, black or white, who has undergone similar suffering. Another lesson learned by Maya and by the attentive and open-hearted reader is the sense of compassion for others which the suffering individual can learn from her own pain. Maya learns in church, for example, that she is not alone in her despair but rather is a part of a community of sufferers who maintain their faith that some day they will find relief and comfort from God: Passing near the din, the
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Didn't Lord, Green Hornet, Uncle Tommy, God Passing, Bird Sings, William Shakespeare, American Negro, Southern Black, Didn't Moses, York Bantam, black female, own identity, caged bird sings, unique gifts, sense compassion, book maya, pride black, black woman, sense own, own worth, book sense,
Approximate Word count = 1623
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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