Summary of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | Includes Analysis
Preview:
Chapter 1
Marguerite was three and her brother, Bailey, four when they arrived in
Stamps, Arkansas. They were to live with their grandmother, Momma
Henderson, because their parents in California were divorcing. Momma
owned a general store in the heart of the black area and sold lunches to
workers all over town. During cotton season, the pickers left their lunch
sacks at the store to be filled. Marguerite saw how the grueling, low-paid
drudgery wore them down. Years later she would lash out against the
stereotype of happy cotton pickers singing in the fields.
Chapter 2
Momma’s son, Uncle Willie, made sure the children learned their
lessons. Uncle Willie was dropped by a baby-sitter as an infant. This
accident left his body twisted and one hand deformed. People tried not
to look at him. He wore starched shirts and shined shoes. He tried to
stand proud, but was the local scapegoat and butt of jokes. In a world
where a strong black man could barely get by, Uncle Willie was
resented because his family owned a store filled with shelves of food
and other goods. One afternoon, he broke down when strangers asked
to take his photo. Marguerite felt his pain at being stereotyped as a
cripple.
Though she read and enjoyed the works of many classical white and
black writers, Marguerite fell in love with Shakespeare because the first
line in Sonnet 29, “When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes. (Ch2,
EPUB)”, expressed exactly how she felt, and how she knew Uncle Willie
felt.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book.
Inside this Instaread Summary of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings:
• Summary of book
• Introduction to the Important People in the book
• Analysis of the Themes and Author’s Style
About the Author
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