Introduction:

Summary:

Maya recalls an Easter Sunday at the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in Arkansas. Her mother makes her a special Easter dress from lavender taffeta, and Maya thinks the dress will make her look like the blond-haired blue-eyed movie star that she wishes, deep down, to be. But, the dress turns out to be drab and ugly, as Maya laments that she is black, and unattractive as well. She leaves her church pew to go to the bathroom, and doesn't make it; she runs from the church, ashamed, but glad to be out of church and away from the children who torment her, and make her childhood even harder than it already is.

Analysis

One of the main themes of this chapter is race and appearance; Maya already establishes that she wanted to be a movie-star looking white girl as a child, and tried to deny her real appearance. Connected with the idea of race is beauty, as Maya describes images of blond hair and blue eyes as the paragon of beauty, and says her appearance is merely a "black ugly dream" that she will wake out of.

Maya seems to have been an imaginative child, as she envisions her "head [bursting] like a dropped watermelon" from trying to hold her bladder. Angelou shows a talent for using images to explain and clarify feelings, and employing her descriptive powers to make even mundane incidents very vivid.

This autobiography, which covers Maya's life from age 3 to age 16, is often considered a bildungsroman since it is primarily a tale of youth and growing into young adulthood. However, unlike a typical, novel-form bildungsroman, the story does not end with the achievement of adulthood; Angelou continues to write about her life in four other volumes, all addressing her life chronologically from her childhood to the accomplishments of her adulthood. It is important to keep in mind that this is an autobiography, rather than a novel, and that the narrator and the author are indeed one and the same, and the events described in the book are intended to relate a very personal portrait of a person's life.

Chapter 1:

Summary:

Maya says that when she was three years old and her brother was four, they were sent from their father in California to their paternal grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. They were eventually embraced by the town, and lived at the back of the store that their grandmother and uncle owned and ran. Their grandmother's store is the center of life in the Negro community of the town, being the pick-up and drop-off point for cotton pickers in picking season.

Analysis:

Angelou tells of the little sensory details that make her life working and living in the store an adventure for a young girl. She recalls the smells, and unfamiliarity of the place, and the constant stream of people who made the place seem exciting and almost magical. However, the theme of romance vs. reality soon becomes plain; for even as the cotton pickers come in each morning, happy and boastful, each afternoon they come back bitter and wondering how to make enough money to make ends meet. Angelou notes the difference between the wonderful mornings and the hard reality of the afternoons, knowing that however things might seem, there are always the harsh facts of life to face.

The difficulty of being black in the South is a theme that is important throughout the work; financially, it is difficult to make ends meet, and black people also face social hardship. Even in the intro to the work, Angelou reminds us that living in the segregated South during this time is never easy; not even to a child, and not even with wonderful sights and sounds around at the store.

Chapter 2:

Summary:

Maya and her brother recite their times tables for their Uncle Willie, who was crippled as a child and whose left side of his body is shriveled and deformed. Maya and her brother are disturbed by his disability, though his mother, Maya's grandmother, blames God but accepts her son. Things are more difficult for him, since able-bodied men are hardly able to make a living and take their insecurities out on him, and because he too is ashamed of being crippled. Maya recalls the one time that he manages to pretend that he wasn't crippled, and empathizes with him because of his hardships.

She also starts reading and enjoying literature while she is in Stamps, Shakespeare especially. She also enjoys the works of many prominent black authors, which her Momma, or grandmother, approves more of. Although young Maya likes Shakespeare, and is fine with the fact that he is white, her Momma wouldn't want to know that Maya enjoys a white man's work.

Analysis:

The story of Uncle Willie shows how important appearance is in how people are treated and thought of. Because Uncle Willie is so obviously crippled, most men treat him badly; perhaps the envy that he is not able-bodied and still has a better living than they do. His disability is something that he cannot escape from, except for the one time that Angelou speaks of here. The way people judge him based on appearance is certainly unfair, but similar to how black people are treated, just because of their color. Prejudice is a theme that the novel cannot avoid, because Angelou herself will have to deal with the prejudice that goes along with her black skin for all of her life, and, like Uncle Willie's handicap, it is not something that she can simply shrug off.

The great importance of the issue of race is very clear when Angelou says her Momma would not want her to read Shakespeare because he is white. Race is made into such a big, pervasive issue in the South, that it can affect even how people view such apparently non-inflammatory things as Shakespeare's plays. Momma's reaction might be unfair in some ways, but since great injustice has been perpetrated on the issue of race, this merely shows how deeply this unfairness can hurt people.

Chapter 3:

Summary:

Angelou continues to tell of the store, and her work there; it is her favorite place during her childhood, and filled with great magic as she grows up. During the day she works in the store, measuring out dry goods for customers; in the evening, she helps to feed the hogs and chickens they keep.

One night while she is feeding the animals, Mr. Steward, the white former sheriff, rides up to the store; he tells Momma to have Willie stay inside and out of sight, since a black man messed with a white woman earlier that day, and some of the white men from the town will probably get Œrevenge' by making trouble in the black part of town. Maya overhears this exchange, and is afraid of what might happen. She also dislikes Mr. Steward for being condescending and thinking that the black men of the town were servile cowards, who would just crawl away when the white folks got angry.

Momma has Willie hide in a vegetable bin, and the children help to cover him with potatoes and onions. It isn't a good cover, since Willie keeps making noise, but it makes them feel safe, like it could protect Willie from being lynched if any of the white men came to drag him out.

Analysis:

Angelou displays her keen powers of description, as she tells of her love for chocolate Kisses, and the pineapple upside-down cakes that her Momma makes at Christmas. The descriptions are rich with sensory images, and are reminders of a child's joy at the little things in life.

Again, Angelou associates mornings with newness and magic, and afternoons and evenings as more real times, when people were tired and had done a hard day's work. But in this chapter, she tells of some of the more harsh realities that she begins to learn, like the lynch mobs that occasionally come for innocent black men. Mr. Steward is a symbol of the condescension that many whites in the book have for black people; and the "boys" tell of the great hatred that some white people have, and how this hatred can distort a person completely. The image of Uncle Willie under the potatoes, unable to help drooling on the potatoes, is both pathetic and empathetic; he shouldn't have to hide in such an undignified way, and he also should not have to fear a violent reprisal for an act he did not commit.

Chapter 4:

Summary:

Angelou recalls a neighbor of theirs, Mr. McElroy, who was the first black man she ever knew to wear a suit. She and her brother liked him because he liked to talk to Uncle Willie, and also was not religious‹which of course they could not be, since their Momma was very devout. He stands out, since he has money and a house to himself, and never talks to Maya, except to say good morning or good evening.

Then, she talks about her great love for her brother. They are opposite in appearance, with him being more attractive and graceful, and he even gets a little revenge on those people who call his sister Œugly'. Her brother keeps her from being lonely, and their friendship is vitally important to the young Maya.

Then the winter canning and preserving is described, as people make sausages and cure meat to last through the winter, as well as can their summer vegetables to last until the next harvest. Then, Angelou describes going into the white part of town, to buy fresh meat that their Momma thought they should have on occasion. She didn't like to leave her part of town, as the white people were unfriendly and foreign to her. In fact, she says that most blacks had little or nothing to do with the white people across town, and didn't even think of them as being real people like they were‹prejudice goes both ways, since neither group can try to understand the other with segregation in place.

Analysis:

Angelou addresses the theme of the influence of childhood; the knowledge and experience gained from childhood affects the rest of your life, as the events that Angelou portrays in the book, however small or seemingly insignificant, will shape her perceptions for the rest of her life. Also, the fact that she can remember the many smells and sights of the store shows that these little memories have also become important in her memory of her life.

The contrast in the appearances of Maya and her brother shows that they are very different people; however, they also compliment each other, and learn to love each other as they are. Maya's great affection for her brother introduces the theme of family ties, which is very influential in her life. Her bond with her brother is the most important friendship of her childhood years, and helps her get through some difficult times. The diction used to describe him tells of an active, lively, friendly person: Angelou describes him "spinning, falling, laughing," doing "daring and interesting things." He is her "Kingdom Come," the metaphor telling of just how much she admires and loves him.

The extent of segregation is shown by the fact that young Maya, and most of the people she knew, didn't regard white people as people‹they were just "whitefolks," alien beings. Angelou discusses the theme of segregation, and how racial segregation not only perpetuated societal divisions, but economic and political inferiority for the black citizens of the town. Their dislike and distrust for white people was based in hostility at being made inferior, as well as being a reaction against mistreatment. It is ironic that black people thought that white people weren't real, when they had such indisputable and tangible power over the lives of the black people in the town.

Chapter 5:

Summary:

Angelou recalls how Momma used to make them bathe and wash constantly, even in cold water in wintertime. She used to insist on them being respectful and clean, which most people were, except for the "powhitetrash" children that came into the town. Those that came to the store were often very rude, but young Maya and her family are not allowed to say anything, because they are black.

Then, she tells of her grandmother's unfailing subservience around even the white children, and how this frustrated her to no end. When a few white girls come from the school to the store, Maya begs her grandmother to go inside, and she will deal with the girls. Momma, however, insists on standing outside the door as they come; the girls mock her and are rude, 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 doesn't say anything; and when the girls leave, she even calls them "Miz," and says goodbye to them. Maya doesn't think her grandmother should demean herself this way, but somehow, Momma triumphs over the girls by standing her ground and not getting angry.

Analysis:

This chapter shows the contrast between the discipline and manners that a black child was expected to have, and the lack of restraint on white children, in young Maya's experience. They are rude and disorderly and abuse their privilege of being white, ordering Uncle Willie about the store in a shameful way. The theme of racial differences becomes very apparent here, as for the first time black and white people come into contact, and are shown to be very different. Even though Momma Henderson owns the land they live on, she cannot reprimand them for their rudeness or disorder; such is the influence of racial codes, that allow privileges to whites just for being white, even when these privileges are abused.

The differences between the old codes of obedient behavior that black people had to observe, and the frustration of young people with these codes, is shown through the juxtaposition of Momma's and Maya's reactions to the young girls who come to the store. But, after Momma's "triumph" over the girls, it seems as though people can be more dignified even if they follow these outdated and insulting codes. Young Maya's anger is justified and understandable, but is anger the best way to fight ignorance in this case? That social codes are being questioned, and perhaps cast aside, is an important theme in the book; this questioning will change race relations, and inevitably lead to friction.

Chapter 6:

Summary:

Angelou recalls the visits of Reverend Thomas, an obese old pastor who would come to their church four times a year, stay with them, and eat huge amounts of her grandmother's cooking. Neither Maya nor her brother liked him, because he always forgot their names, ate everything, and wasn't too pleasant to be around. The good part of his visit, though, was that Momma would talk about recent gossip with him, which Maya and her brother would eavesdrop on, and loved to hear. Then, she tells of amusing incidents in the church, and of how she would ignore Rev. Thomas in church, since she didn't like listening to his sermons.

A woman named Sister Monroe had a tendency to interrupt the sermons and attack whoever was preaching; these incidents are highly amusing to Maya and her brother, but when they laugh at one of these episodes, they are whipped by Uncle Willie. Though the incident was funny, they are expected by their aunt to behave in church, even when something absurd happens.

Analysis:

The extent of Angelou's religious upbringing is shown by the fact that she is unfailingly polite to Reverend Thomas because he is God's representative, although she actually hates him. Religion is an important theme in her early life at least, since her Momma is such a religious woman, and teaches the children to love and respect God and the church.

Religion is also important for the town as a whole, as it seems it is the center of the black community, and a place where everyone goes and socializes. The Sister Monroe incident just shows how some people throw themselves into the church experience, and how important people felt it was to get to church every week, which Sister Monroe felt she had to make up for. But, although Sister Monroe gets obnoxious and even violent, children are still expected to have perfect manners, according to their customs; they are supposed to be seen and not heard. The fact that Maya and her brother Bailey are punished for violating this rule shows how strict their Momma is, but how strict their society is in enforcing these rules of decorum for children.

Chapter 7:

Summary:

Angelou describes her Momma; she is tall, big, and strong, and leads in the hymns at church every Sunday. She is old-fashioned, though, as she teaches the children to behave as she was to behave as a child, and teaches them to act according to outdated racial codes of behavior. Angelou has a problem with this, since she sees that many white people don't deserve her Momma's courtesy, and these rules should be done away with. However, Momma does hold a certain standing in the community; there is a story about how she was called Mrs. in court, by mistake since she is black, but how many saw this as just confirming the respect she has in Stamps.

Analysis

Perhaps it is ironic that a woman as strong and bold as Momma refuses to challenge the treatment she receives from the white people in the town. But even she is ruled by lessons learned years ago, that young people like Maya and her brother Bailey are beginning to reject. This difference of opinion, which both Maya and her Momma feel strongly about, foreshadows a possible confrontation over the issue later in the book. Since Maya strongly feels that her Momma is being too weak, and Momma stubbornly refuses to follow any rules other than the ones she already knows, there will almost certainly be a rift between them based on changing attitudes toward racial codes and discrimination.

Chapter 8:

Summary:

The huge economic divide between the white and black communities of Stamps is noted; white people have plenty of clothes and can afford to be charitable and spend too much, and still they have enough for themselves. In the black community, people can hardly afford to give anything away, so when they do, it is much appreciated. Even though Momma has land and money, even she doesn't spend money like the white people do, budgeting carefully and never wasting anything. Even Momma makes all of the clothes for herself and the children, and only buys Uncle Willie expensive, ready-made clothes and shoes.

The depression hits Stamps, and leads to wages being cut and difficulty making ends meet. That also means that they can't afford to shop at the store, and Momma has to figure out how to keep the store running and still make money. She allows the townspeople to trade the relief food that they get for credit at the store, and is able to keep things going there.

Christmas comes, and Maya and Bailey get presents from their parents, who they hadn't heard of since they were shipped off to Stamps. Neither of them wanted to be reminded of their parents and being sent away, and are very sad that their parents have suddenly reappeared in their lives. But, Bailey cheers them up with the thought that perhaps their mother is preparing to come and get them, and the thought of that makes both children happy.

Analysis:

The theme of economic division becomes clear, as the racial divide between blacks and whites in the town perpetuates an economic divide along those same racial lines. Not only do blacks have to endure social and political subordination, but they are also unable to make as much money as any of the white people are. Angelou's tone, when she notes that black people don't have nearly as much, isn't bitter about their lack of money and things; rather, she casts white people as flippant and impractical, since they don't know how to survive off of what they have nearly as well as the black community can.

The fact that Bailey and Maya being assured that their parents are still alive and do remember them causes them grief is definitely ironic. One would expect that they would be happy to receive any word or presents from their parents, but it brings up far more painful issues for them. The theme of abandonment will be important in their young lives, as they are reclaimed and shipped off by their parents several times in the course of the book; this is one of the feelings that really influences their childhood, and also undermines their happiness.

Chapter 9:

Summary:

Maya and Bailey's father comes to Stamps the next year, to see his children; neither of them were warned that he was coming, and it is hard for them to face their father in the flesh and give up the fantasies they had about their absent father. He is tall and handsome, and more proper and wealthy than the people in Stamps. Maya is happy that he is there, but then thinks that if people see her and her father together, their dissimilarity in looks will make people think she is not his daughter. When he announces that he is leaving, all but Bailey are relieved, as his presence is hard on the family.

Then, he says that he is taking Maya and Bailey with him. Of course, they are happy at first that he wants them to go with him; Maya goes with Bailey, since she couldn't stay behind without Bailey. But, when their father tells them that he is just taking them to their mother's place in St. Louis, they are hurt; they thought they were going with him to California, but he is going to dump them off again, and this time with a mother that they don't even know.

When they finally do meet their mother, though, they are completely taken with her; she is very beautiful and charming, and Maya and Bailey are no longer nervous or sad at being taken away from Stamps. Maya thinks her mom is too pretty to have been a mother, and sees that she and Bailey are already taking a shine to each other; Bailey will probably be her favorite, but Maya will just deal with that. Their father leaves, and Maya is indifferent because he is still a stranger to them.

Analysis:

Angelou describes seeing her father after years of absence as "[shredding her] inventions like a hard yank on a paper chain"; the metaphor tells of how difficult it can be to give up one's fantasies and ideas in the face of a less pleasant reality. This theme of reality vs. illusion comes up several times, and it is often more pleasant and reassuring to believe in one's own illusions, rather than face up to what is real and flawed.

The images and words chosen to represent St. Louis tell of the children's fear of this new place, and their apprehension at being taken to live with someone they don't know. The "crowded-together, soot-covered buildings" are completely alien, and a bit bleak to them. They may have been driving "to Hell" for all the children knew, with their uncertainty and fear coloring the strange landscape. She begins to believe in "Grownups' Betrayal," as again they are being let down by their father; her tone reveals her hurt and bitterness at being reclaimed by their father, only to be sent away once again.

Angelou describes her mother as being like "a hurricane in its perfect power," or "the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow"; these metaphors convey that Maya's mother is a flawless work of nature, vibrant, powerful, and very beautiful. Maya seems to admire her from afar, too, like you would admire a rainbow from afar; but the instant power of the children's love for her is encapsulated in the two cliched phrases "struck dumb" and "love at first sight." Although Maya might feel a bit distant from her mother, nevertheless the love she feels brings them a little closer.

Chapter 10:

Summary:

Maya talks about her maternal grandmother, Grandmother Baxter; she is nearly white, and was raised by a German family before moving to St. Louis. The city is full of gamblers, cheats, and generally debauched characters, but her grandmother is able to deal with them well, especially since she has several able-bodied sons who defend her. She negotiates with them; in exchange for her getting them out of trouble with the police, they bring in the vote as they are told to.

Maya and Bailey find that most of the students in their new school are ignorant, and that they are years ahead of their classmates in learning and behavior. The school and the teachers are very different; the teachers are distant, formal people, unlike the teachers in Stamps, who usually live with local families, and whose every move is watched. But, even though both are moved up a grade, they learn nothing new.

Then Angelou discusses her mother, how she was a great dancer and singer, and taught them to dance too; she is very beautiful, and when the children go to the bar with her, her friends give Maya and Bailey sodas and are very kind. Her mother had three brothers, who were all a bit rough and ruthless: when their mother was insulted by a local man, they cornered him, while Maya's mother beat him up. They are very protective of their family, but their brutality is certainly excessive. Angelou explains how she got the name ŒMaya'; it was a name her brother gave her, after calling her Œmya sister' for years.

Maya and Bailey move in with their mother, after living with their grandparents for a number of months; they have nice clothes and their own room, and are very grateful since their mother could choose to send them back to Stamps. Their mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman, lives with them; Maya thinks that he is OK, but not good or intelligent enough to really deserve her mother.

Analysis:

The vastly different ways of living in the city become clear to young Maya; St. Louis is full of gambling and sin, and people don't know each other as well. There isn't as strong a sense of community either: people aren't quite as concerned with each other's well-being, but at the same time, people are also not as nosy and gossipy about their neighbors. It also seems like some, especially the teachers, are trying to imitate the manners of white people; this brings up the issue of black culture, for in the South black people seem to have a way of life that is distinct from that of whites, but in St. Louis, those lines tend to blur more.

Parent-child love becomes a prominent theme of this section of the book; Maya's love for her mother is very plainly stated, and she begins to enjoy the city because her mother loves her too. Her mother is still ethereal and very beautiful; "she was like a pretty kite that floated just above my head" is how she is described, the simile showing how Maya regarded her mother as something greater than herself. Angelou alludes to the Virgin Mary, to explain how ethereal, perfect, and beautiful her mother is. Also, Maya and her brother finally have the luxury of an extended family; they are supported and protected by their uncles and grandparents, and feel safe and at home in this close circle.

The violence that Maya's uncles will perpetrate later is foreshadowed in this section; it is established that they are brutal, very protective of their family, and bad-tempered, which will mean trouble for anyone who tries to mess with the family. Although here, Maya says that she admired them as a child, things will soon change. Although they are well-meaning and good to the children, they are also too violent for their own good.

Chapter 11:

Summary:

Maya soon begins to regard St. Louis like a foreign country, and thinks that she is just visiting, as opposed to living there. Their mother, although she is a nurse, just earns extra money dealing poker games; Mr. Freeman made most of the money that supported them. Their mother works at night, which means they are trusted to do their homework, eat dinner, and wash the dishes while she is gone. Maya and Bailey begin to have nightmares, and Maya gets used to sleeping in her mother's bed, with Mr. Freeman too.

Mr. Freeman molests Maya one morning; she knows little about sex other than it exists, and is a bit stunned by the experience. But, he also holds her and makes her feel loved afterward, which makes her feel much easier about the whole experience. He threatens to kill Bailey if she ever tells, and makes her embarrassed to tell her mother by pretending that she had wet the bed. Maya is hungry for fatherly affection, but Mr. Freeman exploits this by molesting and later raping her. Maya says she wanted to be a boy as a child, so that she could be like a heroic figure in the comics, and end up winning in life.

Analysis:

This chapter and the one following focus on what is probably the most traumatic event of Maya's young life‹her rape by Mr. Freeman, her mother's boyfriend. In writing this chapter, Angelou reminds us of a child's naivete and lack of knowledge about sex; she also recalls her feelings in vivid detail, helping the reader to understand what happened to her, and how it affected her. So far, Maya has been able to trust adults to look after her and protect her; but here, that trust is violated in a terrible way, and as a child, it is hard for Maya to understand.

The theme of parent-child love plays into this whole scenario; Maya has always lacked a father, and sees Mr. Freeman as a surrogate father figure. All she wants from him is love and acknowledgement, but unfortunately, that is not what she gets from him. The disconnect between the world and understanding of a child and the world of an adult becomes clear; children are used to trusting people and want love, and do not understand the adult world of sex and betrayals and being hurt. This disconnection means that Maya will be harshly affected by this event in her life, and will lose part of her childhood and her happiness because of it.

Maya also begins to see gender as a major issue, and a possible hindrance. She sees the difference in gender roles and representations in the books and comics she reads; and, she begins to think that her life would be better as a boy, and she would be able to do more. The theme of gender is very important in Maya's story, as she will have to struggle against limiting roles and perceptions in order to become who she wants to be.

Chapter 12:

Summary:

Mr. Freeman sends Maya (or Ritie, as they call her) to get some milk; when she gets home, he rapes her, and she isn't able to get away from him. She feels sick and horrible afterward; she was physically hurt by Mr. Freeman, as well as mentally hurt. She takes to her bed, and her mother thinks she is sick; although she does not like what has happened to her, and is in great pain, still she intends not to tell her mother or brother what has happened.

Even before her mother finds out what has happened, Mr. Freeman is sent packing and leaves the house. Maya thinks that maybe she should tell, but wonders if her brother and mother would love her afterwards if she told them what happened. She thinks that she is dying, but still cannot tell; then her brother and mother find her stained panties as they are changing the sheets, and know what happened to her.

Analysis:

By this point, Maya has given up all hope of Mr. Freeman becoming a father to her; she no longer wants love or approval from him. Still, she is unable to understand what has happened to her; pain makes her think that she has done something very bad, since she also doesn't realize that she has done nothing wrong. She also becomes afraid of Mr. Freeman, for the first time, as his sinister and abusive qualities become clear.

When writing about this incident, Angelou focuses on the after-effects; the physical pain after it, trying to realize what had happened, being unable to tell what had happened. She is nearly helpless because she can't tell anyone, and the pain she feels makes her guilty, as if she did a bad thing. Angelou takes us into her mind as a child, explaining how a child reacts to trauma, and how deeply such events can affect them. She uses metaphors to convey the feelings, without resorting to graphic descriptions; she explains the physical affects of the rape as "the needle giving because the camel can't," and afterward thinks that her "hips seemed to be coming out of their sockets." Angelou spends less time discussing the actual physical act against her, because the mental, lasting effects are far more devastating than even the horrible pain she experiences.

The theme of imprisonment is also key to this chapter; Maya is imprisoned in a body that is not only black, but female, making her vulnerable to Mr. Freeman's attack. She can escape from neither of these physical realities, and the prejudice or misfortune that both being black and female might cause for her.

Chapter 13:

Summary:

Bailey asks Maya to tell him who hurt her; Maya is reluctant because of Mr. Freeman's threats, but manages to tell him. Bailey then tells their grandmother, and Mr. Freeman is arrested and is put on trial. At the trial, her whole family and some family friends are there; Mr. Freeman's lawyer asks Maya questions, and when he asks whether Mr. Freeman had touched her before, she lies and says no because she feels she has to. She thinks that letting Mr. Freeman touch her before the rape makes her a bad girl, and that if she tells anyone they will be very angry at her. She feels worse about this lie than anything else; and, when she hears that Mr. Freeman was beaten to death, she thinks it is her fault because she told a lie.

Maya feels so badly about this lie that she thinks she will alienate people and drive them away if she talks, and they sense the bad things she thinks she has done. She decides to stop talking to everyone but Bailey, and for a while this is accepted as being part of the trauma. When she refuses to speak after a few months, she is punished for being Œuppity'; then, she and Bailey are sent back to Stamps. Bailey is heartbroken, and Maya only cares because she knows it is her fault that they are going, and that this has hurt Bailey.

Analysis

Angelou describes the guilt that she felt because of lying in court, and because she had let Mr. Freeman touch her before, and had liked being held by him. Although it seems strange that a child would feel that they did something wrong when they were hurt by an adult, Angelou shows that as a child she was unable to make this connection, and understand that she wasn't guilty. Also, that young Maya would feel worse about lying than about being raped seems not to make sense; but the shame of what happened, and the shame of having to hide it, is harder on her than the actual physical crime against her.

To describe her guilt, Angelou compares the policeman who brings news of Mr. Freeman's death to a "recording angel" who knows of her sins; she thinks she has "evilness" in her, and will not go to heaven. She takes all the blame for Mr. Freeman's death, though she did not do it, and even her small lie wouldn't have changed things. Her lie, she thins, would "flood the world and drown all the innocent people"; this image relates how overwhelmed Maya is by her guilt, and how bad she feels over her lie.

"Just my breath, carrying my words out, might poison people and they'd curl up and die like the black fat slugs that only pretended"; this image that Angelou uses, of poisoning people with her words, explains her decision to be mute in the most vivid terms. Since her voice was the source of her one sin, her lie in court, she thinks that her voice must be evil by association. Young Maya's decision is hard to understand in adult terms, since it is not strictly logical: but, the images she uses to tell of her guilt and her feelings expose her child-like logic and how she chose to become mute. The religious belief that had been engrained in her by her Momma is also a cause of this decision. She truly thinks that she has "sold herself to the Devil" just through one innocent lie, and since she cannot tell and be absolved of her guilt, she lets it separate her from the world, and take away her will to communicate.

Chapter 14:

Summary:

Bailey and Maya are back in Stamps; she is happy to be back though her brother is not, because she didn't feel at home in the strangeness of St. Louis, and with everything that happened to her. She learns from them to be satisfied with life, even when it is unfair. She also feels that nothing else can happen to her, since barely anything happens in Stamps at all. She and Bailey become a curiosity to the people of Stamps, who come by to see them and ask them about the city, which none of them have been to. Bailey exaggerates his stories of the city to entertain them, though Momma does not approve of his tall tales. Life becomes muted and pale to Maya; she can't remember a lot of people from the town. People think that her silence is just sadness at being taken away from the city; but they accept that she has always been a delicate girl, and do not admonish her for keeping quiet.

Analysis:

Resignation is an important theme in Maya's story while she chooses not to speak, and withdraws willingly from people. She decides to go along with the uneventful life in Stamps, because nothing bad will happen to her; she stops being active and enjoying her life, and surrenders herself to silence and sullenness. Angelou's diction tells of her giving up, being "without will or consciousness," in a "coccoon"; she will remain this way for some time, her silence lasting for several years.

This resignation in life is also conveyed through Angelou's descriptions of sounds getting dull, and color being like "faded familiarities." These metaphors tell how deeply Maya has been hurt by her belief that she lied, and also how far she would go to deny herself in the belief that she has been bad. Her forgetfulness is also a symptom of her giving up on life; she no longer has the will to recall the past or remember what is happening, and instead will just float along, with no wish to be happy or make a change in her life.

Chapter 15:

Summary:

Maya was mute for a year, drifting along and not saying anything to anyone other than Bailey. She mentions Bertha Flowers, probably the most prominent and graceful of Stamps' black citizens; she is proper and kind, and Maya admires her very much. But, she is ashamed at her grandmother's display of bad grammar when Mrs. Flowers is around; Maya thinks Mrs. Flowers is too good to talk to someone who doesn't know how to speak perfect English, and wishes her Momma could do better.

One day, Mrs. Flowers buys some things in the store, and asks that Maya, or Marguerite (her full name), bring them to her house to have a talk. Maya changes into a nicer dress to go to Mrs. Flowers' house, but Momma makes her take it off to show to Mrs. Flowers, who admires the stitching. Maya is completely embarrassed at being humbled like that in front of someone she admires so much. Then, Mrs. Flowers leaves the store, and Maya follows her home, carrying Mrs. Flowers' groceries.

Mrs. Flowers says that although Maya does good work in school, she needs to talk; Mrs. Flowers thinks that spoken language is essential, and words do not mean as much on paper as they do when they are spoken. Maya hangs on Mrs. Flowers' every word, thinking her advice wise and truthful. Mrs. Flowers advises her to learn from the people around her, and that having a formal education does not mean a person has real intelligence or wit. Mrs. Flowers sends Maya home with A Tale of Two Cities and a book of poetry, expecting her to read the works aloud in order to enjoy the language and regain her voice. Maya finally regains the will to speak, and feels very special at being noticed and taught by Mrs. Flowers.

Maya returns to the store, very happy; she brings tea cookies to Bailey, and tells him so. Maya uses the phrase "by the way," which gets her and Bailey beaten; her grandmother thinks that "by the way" is a phrase taking the Lord's name in vain, which is obscure and is hard to understand for the children.

Analysis:

Angelou says she "sopped aroundŠlike an old biscuit" while she was mute, the simile telling of her lack of drive and passion for life. But, she is brought out of her cocoon by Mrs. Flowers, who Angelou describes in glowing terms. Mrs. Flowers "had a private breeze which swirled around" her on summer days, the image telling of how graceful and noble she was. She is "like women in English novels," exotic and almost too ideal to be real, and living in Stamps.

Young Maya's admiration for Mrs. Flowers means that Maya carefully heeds Mrs. Flowers' words; had Maya not had a woman as gracious and intelligent as Mrs. Flowers to instruct her, she might have remained mute for years to come. Her childlike joy in the small, fine things of Mrs. Flowers' house is evident in the detailed description of the tea cookies, and her amazement at how neat and beautiful Mrs. Flowers' house is. Dwelling on these varied images shows how high Maya's regard for Mrs. Flowers is, and how much she treasures any sight or experience outside of her ordinary experience in Stamps.

This scene is one of the most vividly recreated in the book so far; Angelou speaks of the sounds of Mrs. Stamps reading, her new understanding of language, and her feelings at finally having to speak. Being able to connect with people and literature through language was like having "a cup of mead with Beowulf or a hot cup of tea and milk with Oliver Twist," Angelou says. These allusions to literary characters tell how language brought color and meaning back into her life, and how Mrs. Flowers' gifts had an impact on her for the rest of her life. Also, that she was liked for being herself and singled out by Mrs. Flowers made a huge difference to her, and finally broke her out of her cocoon.

Chapter 16:

Summary:

Angelou recalls being taught to embroider, sew, and crochet, which all girls in her part of Stamps were taught to do; but, to learn finer manners, you had to go outside of the black part of Stamps, and she learned these things from working for a white woman, Mrs.Cullinan. Mrs. Cullinan is a very strict and somewhat tyrannical woman who is older and lives with her husband, and Miss Glory as her primary housekeeper and cook. Mrs. Cullinan's house is very fancy, with a myriad of needless dishware and cutlery, and everything in its proper place. Maya pities her for a time, because Mrs. Cullinan was unable to have children; but, once Mrs. Cullinan treats her rudely and refuses to call her by her proper name, Marguerite, she begins to strongly dislike Mrs. Cullinan.

Maya decides that she has to quit, since she cannot bear to be renamed by Mrs. Cullinan, simply because a shorter name is more convenient. Maya can't just quit, though, because her Momma would not let her; so, she decides to drop Mrs. Cullinan's favorite dishes, and get fired because of it. Mrs. Cullinan yells at her, and finally calls Maya by something close to her proper name, Margaret. Maya leaves, happy that Mrs. Cullinan finally admitted that her name wasn't Mary.

Analysis:

Mrs. Cullinan is a symbol of all the wealthy, overly proper white people that seem to proliferate in Stamps; she is sharply contrasted with the people that Maya knows, in her fine manners and proliferation of things, rudeness, and general condescension toward black people. Maya, even as a young girl, has no patience for this type of person; she, unlike the older Miss Glory, refuses to be submissive and subservient, as she is supposed to do around whites. Maya once again rebels against existing racial codes, and does not care that this rebellion means that she loses her demeaning job.

Names are very important to people, and their importance is the major theme of this chapter. When Mrs. Cullinan refuses to call Maya, or Marguerite, by her name, she is almost denying Maya's identity; to blatantly disregard someone's name and give them another for the sake of convenience is very insulting, and Maya, rightly, does not appreciate it. It is also a display of power of Mrs. Cullinan over both Maya and Miss Glory, that she feels she can arbitrarily rename them, and they have to put up with the indignity. There is a certain symmetry to the chapter, however, as Maya both begins and ends the chapter with the same name; she is able to bear Mrs. Cullinan changing her real name, and then giving her her name back at the end.

Chapter 17:

Summary:

Most of the week in Stamps is a matter of repetition; but on Saturday, people come into town, dressed up, and give their children some money to spend. Maya and Bailey have to do a lot of chores on Saturdays, but still Angelou recalls that it was her favorite day, simply because routines were different for a day. Bailey goes to the movies each Saturday, and one week is late in coming home; it is dark and he is not back, which makes Momma fear for the worst. So, Momma and Maya go out and search for Bailey, hoping that he is alright. They finally see him, walking around and looking dejected; he has no excuse for why he is so late, and Momma turns around and walks back home, telling him to come home too.

Maya is worried, since Bailey is sad and ignores her; she has no idea what could be wrong, and is concerned that it might be something serious. Bailey gets home and gets a whipping from Uncle Willie; Maya is still scared for him, since he doesn't even respond to the punishment. A few days later, Bailey suddenly tells her that he saw their mother; there is an actress named Kay Francis in some of the movies he has seen, who looks almost exactly like their mother. She goes with Bailey to all the movies that Kay Francis is in, and thinks that it is nice that she can see "their mother" onscreen so often. Still, Bailey is unhappy, and scares Maya by running in front of a train; although Maya is content just to watch the films of their mother's lookalike, that is clearly not enough for Bailey, who really misses his mother.

Analysis:

Angelou's statement that black women had their "heartstrings tied to a hanging noose" recalls the reality of the violence in Southern towns that is visited upon black people by white people. This violence was often senseless and random, and inflicted upon innocent people, which is why Momma is especially concerned when Bailey is late coming home. Maya thinks that he might be hurt by the "bluebeards and tigers and Rippers," which is perhaps a child's way of coloring reality with imagination.

Again, the theme of parental love becomes very important to Bailey and Maya; although they have Momma and Uncle Willie to look after them, they don't have a mother and are missing motherly affection. That they latch onto a movie star that looks like their mother shows how hungry they are for their mother's presence; Bailey especially is very hurt by the fact that they don't have their mother with them, and even seeing the movie star's films cannot soothe his grief completely.

Perhaps it is ironic that Maya and Bailey identify a glamorous, white movie star as a mother figure, but this again shows the hypocrisy of racial division, and the class and economic privileges that go along with being white. If their mother is more beautiful, talented, and lovely in real life than this idealized actress is on screen, then perhaps she deserves the same attention and privilege. However, their mother would be considered more lowly simply because she is black, and is not allowed the privilege of being considered alongside a white woman.

Chapter 18:

Summary:

Angelou again describes weekday evenings as being times of tiredness and disappointment, especially for the cotton pickers of the town. But, they still believe in God, and credit God when things don't go wrong, even if they aren't going too well. A revival meeting has come to town, as it does every year; adults and teenagers enjoy it, though most children don't quite understand the concept of the meeting. At the meeting, members of the various churches meet at their only combined service for the year, and the whole meeting is run by the Church of God in Christ, a church that most people in Stamps think is strange.

The sermon begins, and it is basically condemning the white people of the town for their lack of charity, and for demanding obedience of the black people of the town, and much recognition when they do decide to give to the less-privileged black community. People get excited and join in, feeling better about their lives with the assurance that they will one day be welcomed into heaven. Then the preacher calls up for people to be saved by God and join whatever church they wish, which is unheard of since most preachers just shill for their own churches. When the meeting is over, people feel refreshed and happy that even though they are oppressed and have little, God is on their side.

Analysis:

Religious faith is a theme that is important in Angelou's descriptions of life in Stamps; even she, though she is skeptical, sees how big a role religion plays in her life and all around her. It is ironic that people whose lives are very hard believe in God more strongly than those who are blessed with wealth or privilege, but then again the people of Stamps have to rely on something to get them through their hard days. Although Maya thinks that people should see things the way they are, in a realistic rather than a faith-tinged way, it's probably the only way people can stay optimistic in their difficult lives.

Religion also serves a perhaps less-pure purpose in black society. Faith gives them a sense of self-righteousness, that someday they will win out over the white people and be recognized by God as better, more faithful people. It is ironic, in a way, that the black people of Stamps think that white people won't go to heaven because "the Lord loved the poor and hated those high-cast in the world"; their reasoning is obviously skewed, and meant to make them feel better about their economic hardship. Angelou refers to the proverb that it is "easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven," again a justification to make people feel better about their status.

However, religion in this context pacifies people to an extent that is not beneficial. It makes the people of Stamps complacent that they are being overworked and underpaid, when they should be fighting against their treatment. Self-righteousness is another theme at work in this section, and after the revival meeting, people "[bask] in the righteousness of the poor," rather than dedicating themselves to seeking equality and making their lives better. As such, religion seems a convenient way of keeping the black community pacified and content, like a convenient instrument of the whites. Self-righteousness is almost always a dangerous and damaging thing, though it does help the people of Stamps to bear through conditions that would be very hard to change.

Chapter 19:

Summary:

The store is crammed with people listening to a Joe Louis fight on the radio; he is fighting a white man, and of course they all support Joe Louis because he is black. His victory means everything to them; they pin their hopes for dignity and equality on it, and are very happy when Louis does win the fight. "Joe Louis had proved that we were the strongest people in the world" by winning the fight, Angelou said; his victory gives hope to the people of Stamps, though whether it will really change anything is unclear.

Analysis

Again, we see the citizens of Stamps making themselves feel better about their own situations by listening to a fight where the black contestant is victorious. That Angelou compares Louis being defeated to "our people falling" or being "back in slavery" is overstatement; it implies that things will instantly improve or get horrible based on merely this fight, which doesn't seem completely logical. The Louis fight symbolizes their own fight for equality, which will soon take center stage with the Civil Rights movement; and although his victory might lead to greater respect for black athletes, and maybe spread to the black community in some way, certainly won't change everything with just a boxing match. The outcome, though it might make small gains for them, certainly will not be as overwhelming as Angelou in particular envisions it to be.

Chapter 20:

Summary:

It is summer, and the whole town is at the summer picnic fish fry at the pond, the biggest event of the year in Stamps. Everyone is there, plenty of picnic food and desserts laid out, while men catch the fish and women fry them. Maya is not in a particularly celebratory mood, so she escapes to a clearing and is surprised to be found by Louise Kendricks, a girl she knows from school. Maya wants to run away and find another spot, but Louise befriends her, and both start playing together in the clearing. Louise becomes Maya's first friend, other than Bailey of course, and around her Maya is able to become a giggly, happy girl like she hasn't been before.

One day, Maya receives a valentine from Tommy Valdon, a nice boy from the town. Maya reacts negatively, because her experience has led her to think that a male having interest in her is necessarily a bad thing. She shows the letter to her friend Louise, and Louise explains that it is a sign of affection, being asked to be a valentine; Maya tears the note up, and decides to have nothing to do with it. The next day, valentines from the class above are delivered, and are read aloud in front of the class. Tommy sends another one to Maya, saying that although he knows she tore up the note, he will still think of her as his valentine. Maya thinks this note is sweet and decides to be nice to him, but only manages to giggle when she sees him.

Analysis:

The images associated with this annual fish-fry are colorful and joyful; girls run around in their pretty picnic dresses, a huge variety of food is laid out neatly on tables, and everyone is doing something, whether playing, cooking, fishing, or talking. This chapter is dense with sight and sound imagery, and Angelou paints the activity of the scene deftly, with colorful descriptions.

So far in the novel, friendship has played very little part in Angelou's story; motherhood has been a significant theme, with Maya's real mother and surrogate mothers figuring prominently, and the desire for a father figure, who is mostly absent, has also been a theme. This friendship with Louise is the first friendship that Angelou mentions in the text, and one of the few; familial relations are very important in her life and development, but the presence of friendship, other than with Bailey, is mostly absent.

Although Maya is about 10 in this scene, it is obvious that being raped has made her very wary and distrustful of boys. She can only understand Tommy's note in terms of her experience, which has been very traumatic; so, she reacts with as much revulsion to the note as she does to her unpleasant memories. Although Maya is just a girl, because of her misfortune she thinks of male-female relationships only in terms of sex; she is denied the childlike innocence about these things that other children have, and is almost cursed by knowing far too much than she should have to.

Chapter 21:

Summary:

Bailey makes a tent in the backyard, where he plays "momma and poppa" with some of the girls, and they simulate sex; Maya is the designated lookout at these games. After a few months of these goings-on, Bailey meets Joyce, a girl 4 years older than him (he is 11, she is 15). She lives with a poor aunt in town, and is very physically developed for her age. Joyce begins to hang about the store and runs errands for them, mainly to be around Bailey.

Bailey and Joyce decide to play house, and Bailey is confused when she suggests having real sex rather than just the child's play he has been engaging in. Maya is scared that Bailey even thinks of doing this, although he and Joyce don't actually do it. Bailey begins to steal more and more from the store for Joyce, and she hangs around the store but does little work anymore. Her and Bailey's relationship seems to be an exchange, of food for affection, and Bailey is very happy with their friendship.

Joyce leaves suddenly, and Bailey is very upset. He becomes sullen, and Maya actually wants her back, since Bailey was more pleasant while she was around. Turns out that Joyce ran off with a railroad porter she met in the store, and this makes Bailey jealous and even more unhappy to hear the news.

Analysis:

Again, Maya's experience of rape is shown to completely color her idea of sex. She believes that her experience is typical of sex, and that since she had to go to the hospital and it was traumatic, that it would be the same for anyone. However, Bailey's experience contrasts sharply with Maya's; he thinks that sex must be more of a positive thing, and despite his play with Joyce and the girls, he is still youthfully ignorant about it. Still, this chapter highlights the theme of growing up, and of the experiences, mistakes, and new knowledge that make up this process.

Chapter 22:

Summary:

It is a stormy night, meaning that they get to close the store early and stay inside, with Momma and Uncle Willie. Maya and Bailey are reading, when there is a knock on the back door; it is George Taylor, an older neighbor of theirs whose wife had recently died. They invite him in for dinner, and Momma counsels him to try and cheer up since there is no bringing his wife back. Mr. Taylor is obviously troubled about something, and tells them about something his dead wife said to him the other day. Maya dislikes all the superstitious tales that people in Stamps here, and doesn't particularly want to listen to the story.

Florida Taylor, George's wife, had died during the previous summer. Maya is forced to go to the funeral, because Mrs. Taylor left her a fake-gold brooch in her will, and Momma thinks this obligates her to attend the service, at least. At the funeral, Maya is confronted with the reality of death for the first time; she never considered before that she herself could die, not just old people. During the service, the preacher opens the coffin and directs his eulogy directly at the corpse; this disturbs Maya as well as Mr. Taylor, who thinks this is an improper thing to do.

The funeral-goes file around to the casket; Maya has to go too, although she loathes the thought of seeing a dead body. She realizes when she sees Mrs. Taylor's body, how strong and how final death is. It disturbs her and interests her, as she grasps how transient life really is.

Angelou then goes back to Mr. Taylor's ghost story; Mr. Taylor says he saw a baby angel the night before, and heard the voice of his dead wife. His wife's voice said to him "I want some children," and Mr. Taylor tells the story in as much eerie detail as he is able to conjure up. The story scares Maya, though she tries her best to stay calm. Momma and Uncle Willie do their best to interpret this vision for Mr. Taylor, and Maya spends the night frightened of the story she has heard.

Analysis:

This chapter shows the belief in ghosts and spirits that is also common in this very religious community. Death also becomes real to Maya, which is always an important realization during childhood; the theme of mortality is first introduced here, though it is not one of the more important themes of the book.

Again, Angelou uses vivid descriptions of the sight and sound imagery of the scene, as well as mentioning the "scent of decay" that pervades the room. Angelou describes how Mrs. Taylor has been silenced forever, and her "plump brown face had been deflated and patted flat like a cow's ordurous dropping". Both the image and the metaphor conjured by this description are strange; comparing her dead face to a cow dropping reinforces the imagery of decay, and Angelou familiarizes this unsettling sight by comparing it to something more common in her experience. The image of the "mud baby" reinforces the impermanence of life, a realization which Maya first becomes familiar with through this experience.

It seems from Angelou's description that belief in religion and belief in superstition go hand-in-hand in the South. Perhaps it is ironic that someone who believes in God might also believe in hauntings and ghosts, since these seem occult in origin. Momma and Uncle Willie go so far as to embrace this tale and try to find a meaning, showing that not only do they believe in ghosts, they think that these supernatural happenings are also meant for a reason.

Chapter 23:

Summary:

Graduation day is soon approaching, with ceremonies held for those finishing 8th grade, and those leaving high school. The seniors are allowed to be a little lazy and forget their work, as everyone in the town is getting ready for the big event. Maya is graduating from 8th grade, which means the people in the store are very encouraging, and many give her dimes and nickels. Maya is happy for the first time in a while, and really looking forward to the future and whatever it has in store.

Maya is at the top of her class, though her competitor Henry Reed gets to be valedictorian. Smaller children present plays, and all the students not graduating are helping with preparations for the big event. Finally, the day arrives; the graduating students get dressed up, and their families watch the ceremonies in a crowded auditorium. Then, Maya has a feeling that something bad will happen during the ceremony.

Mr. Edward Donleavy, a kind of school superintendent, is the graduation speaker. He tells of the improvements and opportunities coming to the white school in town, Central High; then, he mentions that two recent graduates of the Lafayette County Training School are now successful athletes. Maya feels completely insulted; although white boys and girls get plenty of opportunities, Mr. Donleavy seems to say that the best black boys can do is to become athletes, and doesn't even mention the girls. Most of the people in the auditorium take the speech uneasily because of this; it crushes the celebratory spirit of the ceremony, and certainly ruins the whole thing for Maya.

Henry Reed delivers his address to the class, as planned; then, he starts to sing the "Negro National Anthem," which is banned from being sung at public events. People join in and sing, and the condescension of Mr. Donleavy is purged. Maya is suddenly proud to be black, and feels a part of the black community for possibly the first time.

Analysis:

This chapter presents a very different picture of Maya than when she arrived from St. Louis; she smiles, is content, and even looks forward to the coming years. There is a contrast in the colors and images of Stamps; whereas before all the sounds and colors were faded to her, now they are "strong and sure," reflecting Maya's change of heart.

Racism is a theme that is hardly ever absent from Angelou's story; and even on graduation day, it makes itself present. The graduating classes are harshly reminded of the limits on their futures, just because they are black; they are not expected to attain professional careers, and the girls aren't expected to do anything but become wives and mothers. As much as they might aspire, the reality is that there are firm limits on what they can do in society, simply because of their skin color; Maya is repulsed by this idea, that the fate of her schoolmates is already decided because of prejudice.

Angelou alludes to Gabriel Prosser, George Washington Carver, Nat Turner, and Harriet Tubman to show examples of black Americans who were able to achieve, despite society's biases. But, even they are rare examples of success. Angelou's statement that "we should all be dead" is highly charged, but expresses the unfairness that entire races are judged by their appearance, and what an aberration this system is.

The allusions to Hamlet in Henry Reed's speech are ironic, coming after Mr. Donleavy's speech; Angelou takes its existential questions and broadens them, to apply to all black people. Juxtaposed with the "Negro National Anthem," Maya seems to realize that she is black, and that those ancient works of literature don't address her situation like those that specifically address the black situation in America. Angelou makes embracing this song synonymous with embracing her skin color; suddenly, she is proud of who she is, and quits her many years spent trying to deny it.

Chapter 24:

Summary:

Maya has two very bad cavities, from eating too many sweets. There aren't any black dentists in Stamps, so Momma decides to take her to a white dentist in town, since he owes Momma a favor. Maya is in a lot of pain, so Momma has to drag her to the dentist right away. They get to Dr. Lincoln's, and wait on the back porch for an hour. Momma asks for Maya to be treated, but the dentist insists that he doesn't treat negro patients. Momma insists, since she had lended him money to keep his place during the Depression; he says since the money is all paid back, he doesn't owe her anything anymore.

Momma tells Maya to wait outside, while she goes in to talk to Dr. Lincoln; Maya describes a fantasy scene, in which Momma gets revenge against Dr. Lincoln and makes him apologize for his insults to her. Momma does nothing of the sort, and resolves to take Maya to the black doctor many miles away in Texarkana. Maya goes and has her two teeth removed, and comes back to Stamps and tells her brother about the "encounter" between Momma and Dr. Lincoln. As it turns out, Momma was just able to extract from him interest on the loan she gave him, and wasn't able to rebuke him for his rudeness after all.

Analysis:

Angelou's descriptions of the white part of town make it seem like a different country from the one she and her family live in. The images of the stones being smaller and gravel smoother are reminders of how different things are in white Stamps, and how unfamiliar black people are with it. This reinforces the extent of segregation, and again casts white people as alien beings living in a different world.

Dr. Lincoln's statement that he would "rather stick [his] hand in a dog's mouth than in a nigger's," is the most blatant example of racism so far in the book. But, again, Momma Henderson cannot ignore the racial codes of behavior that she has learned, and cannot stand up to Dr. Lincoln. Maya, although young, is already beginning to feel a lot of anger toward racism, and she is also angry that Momma is unable to stand up to white people when they are completely out of line. Momma seems to embody some paradoxical traits, as she is usually bold and strong, but when confronted with racism, becomes weak and quiet.

Maya's fantasy about Momma standing up to Dr. Lincoln seems to emulate the books and comic books that Maya reads. Momma becomes a powerful hero in this scene, with the power to rebuke and correct beyond her real station; Angelou's descriptions have Dr.Lincoln in a humbled position, as Momma becomes more and more authoritative. Momma also has "eloquent command of English" and the power to kill people who are rude to her in this scene; Maya projects the traits she wants Momma to have onto the character in this fantasy, expressing her frustrations with Momma's inability to stand up for herself, even though she is a strong person.

Although Maya loves her Momma, she regards Momma with a certain ambivalence at times. It hurts Maya deeply to see Momma resign herself to white people's insults; Maya wants Momma to throw away her ideas of racial subservience, and react to those people like the equal, or even superior figure, that she is.

Chapter 25:

Summary:

Angelou recalls that Momma was secretive, as were many black people; she only told as much of the truth as she had to sometimes, and no more. When Momma tells the children she is taking them to California because she is getting old and has her hands full with Uncle Willie, Maya and Bailey know that she is not telling them the whole truth on the matter. Maya suspects that the reason they are being sent away has to do with an incident mostly involving Bailey; he comes into the store one day, looking completely shocked after going into the white part of town.

When he finally starts talking, he tells them that he saw a dead black man, fished out of the pond and very decayed. A white man stood over the body and smiled, which disturbed Bailey; Bailey had to help carry the body into the jail for the white man, and the white people in the jail protested at a dead black man being put there with them. Bailey wants to know why white people hate black people so much, and what black people ever did wrong. Momma and Uncle Willie don't want to answer the question, or maybe can't face the truth themselves.

Maya thinks that Uncle Willie and Momma decide to send them to California to protect them from the extreme racism they would have to endure getting older. They know that Maya and Bailey won't be able to accept and live with the way things are there, so it would be better for them to leave the South. Momma decides to accompany Maya to Los Angeles, where her father lives; Bailey will follow a month later, so Momma can get more money from the store to pay the train fare. Maya isn't sorry to leave Stamps again, but she is sad that she will be separated from Bailey for a month, and that Uncle Willie will be left alone for a while.

Analysis

Racism again shows itself in Stamps, and the inability of Uncle Willie or Momma to explain it or confront it at Bailey's urging shows how deeply even they have taken it to heart. The divide between Maya and Bailey, and Uncle Willie and Momma, becomes clear as Bailey cannot reconcile himself with the hard facts of racism. The images he describes, and the diction he uses, betray his shock; he is clearly traumatized by seeing the "rotten dead Negro," and even more so by the white men's mocking laughter over the body.

Racism, as Angelou presents it here, is an "enigma," a "humorless puzzle," something that cannot be understood, but that Uncle Willie and Momma and the people of Stamps have gotten used to. Momma is determined enough to avoid the question that she sends them away; for although they accept racism and the system of segregation that it furthers, to understand it or confront it themselves might mean they are unable to live under this system themselves.

Chapter 26:

Summary:

Maya finally realizes that she is going to see her mother again, for the first time since the rape. She doesn't know exactly how she will face her mother because of this past event, and gets nervous about their meeting. But her mother meets her and Momma at the train platform, the two women contrasting as greatly as two women can; Momma and Maya are made comfortable in L.A., as Maya's mother Vivian makes living arrangements for Maya and Bailey in San Francisco. Bailey joins them, and they live in L.A. with Momma while their Œpermanent living arrangements' are made by their mother.

Maya recalls Momma adapting quite well to the very different world of California during this time; she had never before been outside of her Texarkana area, and did well with getting around, shopping, and making friends like herself during the time she is there. Finally, she announces that she is going to leave; Maya and Bailey are uncertain because they still don't know their parents well, and are leaving the security of Momma's protection.

Their mother drives them to San Francisco, and is as lovely and captivating as they remember her; however, she is also nervous about taking the children back, and knowing this makes her more real to Maya and Bailey. They live in a small apartment in Oakland for a while, and Grandmother Baxter and two of their mother's brothers are nearby, though they are in a worse financial condition than they were a few years ago. Still, they are overjoyed to be with their mother, and her cheerfulness makes it easy to bear the cramped conditions.

Their mother, however, is very tough; she shot her business partner for getting unruly and cursing her, which shows streaks of the toughness of her brothers. She is joyful and lovable, but she is no one's fool in any way. World War II starts while Maya and Bailey are in San Francisco, and their mother marries Daddy Clidell, who is the first father Maya knows. They move to San Francisco proper, and the Baxters stay at the house in Oakland.

Analysis:

For the only time in the book, Maya's two mother figures come into contact, with the worlds they represent contrasted. Momma is the "hen" from the old world, Maya's mother the "chick" from the new; the metaphors suggest a sense of age for both women, but also an outlook on the world, suggested by either the past or the present. There is also a sense that Momma is the more bedrock-like of the two; she is "large, stolid," unchanging and strong. Maya's own mother is not weak, but is quicker, more adaptable, more flexible, as a modern woman had to be.

Again, the theme of abandonment comes to the fore, as Maya and Bailey are left by Momma to the parents they barely know. They are nervous about this change, as their lives are uprooted again during their young lives. The theme of family ties is also important, for although they are with their mother, their blood relation does not dictate familiarity, nor with their father. Although they get to know their mother, and their relationship with her develops, their father remains as a stranger; although he is their birth father, he is largely absent, and the blood tie between them and their father is weak for that reason.

Although Angelou offers up her mother's faults, her over-toughness and lack of mercy, she also paints her mother as an almost super-human figure. The anecdote about her mother shooting her business partner for calling her a bitch is a prime example; it is certainly an over-reaction, but the way Angelou tells it, this story conveys her mother's power and toughness. Angelou's telling is almost ironic, in that they are still friends afterward, and the shooting is treated as justified; the action seems as brutal as something her brothers would do, and maybe out of character as well.

Chapter 27:

Summary:

With the coming of the war, the Japanese population of the city disappears, and the Southern black population begins to move in to replace it. The southerners come for war work, imagining a good life and good money in the big city. However, they aren't sympathetic to the displaced Asian community as they should be; they treat the oppression of the Japanese with indifference, not bothering to sympathize since they too are discriminated against.

Maya feels at home for the first time in San Francisco; she understands the spirit of the city, and the liveliness that the war brings. The city is full of people migrated from other places, from the South and outlying areas; but still the prejudices of the South are not left behind, and racial tension is common in the city.

Analysis:

The greatest irony about the black community in San Francisco is certainly how it ignores the oppression of the Japanese. One might think that one repressed minority might be free from prejudice against another, but this is not the case; the situation of the Japanese is not even considered in the same context. The black migrants ignore the Japanese as they are ignored by the white community; it seems like they are perpetuating the same crimes as the white community is, again showing that the theme of prejudice in the novel doesn't just work toward the detriment of black people.

Still, racism can't be escaped simply by leaving the South, and in San Francisco there are many other minorities to be targeted. Although the institutions of racism are not established and enforced like they are in the South, it is all still there, along with the economic and social divide between the races. San Francisco is different in its vastness and bustle, but doesn't change the realities of being a black person living in America.

Chapter 28:

Summary:

Maya gets good grades in school, but does not get along with the girls at her single-sex high school. The girls are mean, brash, and bewildering, and it is hard for Maya to understand and like them. Then Maya transfers to George Washington High School, a school that has only three black students, with the rest being white. The students are more bold than she is and many are better educated, which intimidates Maya. Her time there is only made worthwhile by Miss Kirwin, a teacher who has no favorites, and really expects them to learn about their world and keep up with news events. She also treats Maya no different because she is black, and tries to stimulate all her students equally; she ends up being the only teacher that Maya remembers.

Maya is given a scholarship to the California Labor School, a college for adults; she takes dance and drama classes there, and learns the acting and other skills that help her to a stage career later on. She learns to be less shy about her body, as she begins to love dance and learn how to use her body.

Analysis:

As in Stamps, there are black areas of town and black schools; Maya is as intimidated going to the white part of town as she would be in Stamps, although unlike Stamps, she would be unable to go to the white high school there. However, Miss Kirwin is her first example of a white person who does not act with prejudice; Maya is extremely impressed by this, since she is so used to being treated as unequal. Miss Kirwin is the first white person Maya learns to like and trust, which helps her to stop regarding white people as an unfriendly, alien group.

Maya also begins to gain confidence through her dance and drama classes; she becomes more positive about her body, which is a step in the right direction. Her life seems to be fulfilling, with her mother and brother, classes, and books; she is passionate about many things, and her life is certainly more colorful than it was in Stamps.

Chapter 29:

Summary:

Maya's family take boarders in their home since they have a lot of extra space; they are a colorful and diverse lot, moving on frequently. Maya wants to ignore Daddy Clidell, her mother's new husband, but is drawn in by him; they become friends, and Maya learns to like him at last. He is modest and forthcoming, and honest in his businesses; Maya begins to regard him as a good man, and he becomes her first real father.

Daddy Clidell introduces her to colorful characters in the neighborhood, people who teach her how not to get fleeced and also tell her that blacks can win out over whites, which makes her feel gratified. The men are criminals technically, fleecing white people out of money and engineering clever ruses; but, since they are black and winning revenge against white people, all Maya can do is admire their brains and their boldness. In a society in which black people are always limited and held back, this seems like a just revenge to most in the black community.

Analysis:

With the arrival of a father figure, and her relationship with her mother on solid footing, Maya's feelings of abandonment are left behind, and her needs for parental love are met. Also, she becomes less wary of men as she was before, after her rape by Mr. Freeman; she is no longer imprisoned in her body, or scornful of her race or gender. Maya is gaining confidence and security in herself as she is growing up, and already we see great changes from being the mute, sullen girl from Stamps.

Still, the animosity toward white people that Maya learned in Stamps continues in San Francisco, as she holds as heroes those men who are able to grift white people out of money. This is certainly ironic to hold these men in such high regard, but they are some of the few examples of black people able to triumph over their situation. They are like outlaws, held in high esteem for their exploits and triumphs by the community. But Angelou poses a good question here; if black people are systematically robbed by a system that keeps them down, aren't they justified in robbing back and regaining a little of their dignity in the process?

Chapter 30:

Summary:

Maya is invited by her father to spend a vacation with him in southern California; she shops for summer clothes for the trip, and takes the train down to meet her father and her father's girlfriend. Her father's girlfriend is named Dolores, and is very exacting in her standards and in how she orders the small trailer she and Daddy Bailey share. Daddy Bailey works as a cook in a naval hospital, and always prepares very good food at home, which Maya is particularly impressed with.

Dolores is not happy with her lower-middle-class living with Daddy Bailey, and has a lot of pretensions; she is also not fond of Maya at all, and Maya thinks she needs to get off her high horse and be real for once. Daddy Bailey decides to go to Mexico, as he does often, to get provisions for his Mexican cooking; he decides to take Maya, which makes Dolores very jealous. They set out for Mexico without Dolores, and Maya finds it as strange and unusual as she expects. They drive to a tiny town on a mountain-side, with Daddy Bailey drinking as he drives, which is certainly a dangerous thing to do.

Once they get there, they go to a cantina where everyone knows Daddy Bailey; he speaks fluent Spanish, and the people are very friendly to him and Maya. Maya has a good time, drinking Coca Cola and dancing with the locals, but soon it is dark and her father is nowhere to be found. She figures that he must be with one of the women there, and decides to wait by the car until he comes back. He finally makes his way back, very drunk, and propped up by two people; he is put in the back of the car, and falls asleep immediately. Maya is determined not to spend the night in that town; although she has never driven before, she is going to drive the car down the mountain and try to get them home.

Maya figures that she will be able to drive, since she picks things up quickly; so, a man turns the car around for her and leaves the engine on, and she starts off down the mountain. She drives the car down almost by the force of will alone. She gets to the border, but runs into the car in front of her; Mexicans crowd around, and wake her father up since he is still sleeping in the back seat. She tells him she has been in an accident, and he tells her to give the car insurance papers to the guard. He gets out, and talks to the other driver and the border guard; he patches things up with his charm, and then comes back to the car to drive them home. Maya is hurt that he doesn't mention her achievement of driving down the mountain, and mad because half an hour earlier he was helpless, and now he is suddenly better. The rest of the drive home is silent and uncomfortable.

Analysis:

Maya's father presents another case of the theme romance vs. reality at work; Maya thinks that since he acts regal and speaks well, he probably lives in a castle and has plenty of money to throw around. She thinks of him also as being dashing and glamorous, but soon learns better when she's with him. He's a real person with flaws, and he remains distant from her; he isn't the dashing, glowing figure she looked up to when he drove into Stamps.

She soon realizes that he is a lonely person who tries to drown this in drink and by being with women; he didn't belong in Stamps, and feels that he should be something impressive, although he is not. He also leaves her in the bar and goes off with a woman; Maya's feelings of abandonment flare up again at this insult, although she takes the whole thing a bit too hard perhaps.

Here, Maya demonstrates a willful side not often before seen of her. She is bold enough to declare that she is "controlling Mexico" when she manages to steer the car down the mountain, and when she crashes into another car, she is relatively unshaken. She is hardly the meek, quiet girl from Stamps in this scene; she is bold and strong, like her mother. She is also a bit overdramatic about the whole situation; she wants her father to "appreciate the greatness of [her] achievement," thinking that she has accomplished something impressively huge. She expects him to see the situation in the same light she does, but how could he, having thought that Maya could drive and having been asleep for the whole thing?

Chapter 31:

Summary:

They finally reach home, and Dolores is angry; she and Daddy Bailey have an argument, and Dolores accuses him of letting his children come between them. He reacts badly to this, since she is jealous without cause if her problem is Maya being there. She says she wants to marry him, but dislikes Maya and doesn't want her around; he storms out, and leaves her crying there.

Maya feels sorry for her, since she thinks her dad was cruel; she goes out to try and console her, which is not a good idea. Dolores is upset and insults Maya's mother, and Maya slaps her; Dolores cuts Maya somehow, and Maya has to run and lock herself in her father's car to protect herself. Her father comes back, gets Dolores in the house, and Maya tells him that Dolores cut her. Her father drives her away to a friend who is a nurse, who cleans and bandages Maya; he then drives her to a friend's house for the night. His reasoning in not taking her to a hospital is selfish; it would reflect badly on him, and he doesn't want that at all. He comes the next day, to give her money; she decides to run away, and finds herself on the streets.

Analysis

Probably as a result of the Mexican adventure, Maya suddenly gets a bit full of herself; she thinks that what she is doing is "merciful," letting a bit of the religious self-righteousness that she learned in Stamps get to her. She alludes to Florence Nightingale to describe her manner, reinforcing this belief that she is innocent and can do some good; but, she is clearly naïve, if she thinks that she can console this woman, who just declared that she hates Maya. She does display her mother's temperament, though, as she is hot-tempered and violent in their encounter.

Again, Angelou's tone turns melodramatic as she tells of thinking she is going to die from the minor cut that Dolores gives her. She even comes up with a quote to say before she dies, that is suitably maudlin. And her shallow consideration of suicide also reveals a young girl with a taste for drama; perhaps viewing recent events through the lens of melodrama makes bearing the facts easier for Maya.

Chapter 32:

Summary:

Maya wanders around town, and decides to spend the evening in a junkyard car. When she wakes up, she finds a bunch of young people surrounding the car. As it turns out, all of them live in the junkyard in separate cars, and go about doing various menial jobs during the day. They share everything among the group, and Maya ends up living there among the kids for a month. Then, she phones her mother and tells her that she wants to come home. Her mom pays her airfare, and all Maya has to do is get to the airport. She says her goodbyes to the group, which are pretty casual; and she arrives home in San Francisco, her mother having no idea of Maya's adventures during the summer.

Analysis:

The junkyard seems like an ideal refuge for Maya; she is among a group of people her own age and makes many friends, which she hasn't done too often. Again, the theme of abandonment which could have taken over the story after the last episode with her father is avoided. And there is a certain dramatic irony in the fact that when we'd expect Maya to be in a position of loneliness and hardship, she actually feels more secure and befriended than ever before. She sheds her naivete, and her melodramatic tendencies, and any self-righteousness she has; she becomes more adult during this episode, and more at home with people.

Chapter 33:

Summary:

Maya comes back, feeling much older; Bailey has also grown up over the summer, since he's been hanging out with a bunch of tough kids and has become rougher and less emotional. Their friendship cools a little because of this, and they do not talk very much. Maya is finally able to dance well, thanks to her newly-found confidence; she and Bailey go to swing dances in the city, and have a lot of fun. Maya begins to lose interest in a lot of things, finally becoming "blasé".

Mother orders Bailey from the house, since they need a separation due to his growing up; he leaves and becomes like the men she knows, dressing flashy and "acquiring" a white prostitute as a girlfriend. When Bailey gets home a few hours after his curfew, there is a bust-up and Bailey decides to leave home to prove to his mother that he is bolder than she thinks. He stomps out, and Maya is sad, of course; she finds him the next day, and talks to him.

Bailey is determined that he shouldn't go back home; he thinks it's better that way, and that he has reached a "time in his life" when it makes sense for him to strike out on his own. Maya doesn't think he is making any sense; he is barely 16 and can't really take care of himself. However, she know that he believes that what he is doing is right, and will not be dissuaded; she tells him that if she can do anything for him she will, and they say goodbye.

Analysis:

The theme of family ties again becomes prominent in the narrative; Bailey and his mother are at odds, with Mother determined to straighten Bailey out in an attempt to prove that she is a good mother. Angelou's metaphor comparing herself to "Switzerland" shows how powerless she is in the face of this feud; although she loves both, she is not close enough to be able to soothe the fray. She compares the blow-up to the end of the world, an overstatement surely, but conveying the significance of the event to her. Even Bailey becomes nothing like the brother she knows; he is hard and angry, contrasting sharply with who he used to be.

It's rather apparent from Bailey's diction that he is at least a little deluded about the choice he is making. He repeatedly says that he is a "man," though he is no more than a child; he also starts to speak in cliches, saying "there is a tide and time in every man's life," and saying that every man must "cut the apron strings." His use of these cliches suggests that he is merely mouthing other people's words, and using these common phrases as a weak attempt to justify his decision. He probably does need some space from his mother, but moving in with a prostitute and living off her money isn't the most mature decision to make.

The metaphor of Bailey's determination being "armor" reinforces his stubbornness, and the fact that Maya will not be able to tell him he's making a mistake. The images of sin Angelou uses in this passage are juxtaposed with Bailey's naivete and ignorance; he is a boy who needs his mother and his home, but is living in a whorehouse with gamblers and lowlifes around him. It's clear that Bailey is not in the right place, but hopefully he will grow out of his determination and learn better.

Chapter 34:

Summary:

Maya feels the need for a change, though leaving home is out of the question for her. She decides that she has to get a job, and thinks her mother will support this decision. She decides she can probably get a job on the streetcars, though her mother tells her they don't hire colored people to work on them. But, she sees Maya's determination, and tells her to go for it if that is what she wants.

Maya goes to the offices of the streetcar company, and finds them run-down and shoddy. When she asks for the personnel manager, she gets a run-around because she is black; she gets the man's name, and is still determined to get the job. She visits the office frequently, over a number of weeks; finally, she fills out an application, takes some tests, and is hired as the first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco.

The job helps her to feel independent, as she is making her own money; her mother drives her to work early in the morning, and also picks her up whenever she needs it. When she does go back to school, she can't relate to the other pupils; she has seen and done too much, and grown too old, to have anything in common with them. She decides to tough it out, though, so she doesn't shame her mother. Growing up was certainly not easy for Maya, but she managed to get through it and not compromise herself in the process.

Analysis:

The theme of racism makes another return to Angelou's story; but, unlike in Stamps, she is able to triumph over it and accomplish what she wishes to. She becomes an "enraged bulldog," the metaphor highlighting her determination; and without this determination, and her mother's support, she would never have been able to get the job. Angelou comparing her confrontation with racism at the office to a "play" being staged again and again shows that racism is still institutionalized in the city, and that the outcome of these situations is always the same. This metaphor seems to foreshadow failure in Maya's attempt to get hired, although she ends up making a surprising triumph.

That images of San Francisco grow "alien and cold" to her shows the resistance Maya faces when she decides to fight the system. And when she finally achieves her goal, San Francisco again becomes a place of wonder, as Angelou describes the sights with more passion and warmth. The city is a symbol reflecting Maya's feelings at any given time; whatever she feels about life, she seems to see it reflected back at her through the sights of the city.

Angelou's metaphor of youth being a tightrope tells of the difficulty of growing up, and staying balanced through the trials. And, staying balanced while being faced with sexism, racism, and racially related limitations is infinitely more difficult. Angelou's story is as much about overcoming obstacles as it is about growing up, and is a reminder that limitations can be overcome through determination and work.

Chapter 35:

Summary:

Maya has a book called The Well of Loneliness, which is racy and about lesbianism. The fact that she likes it so much makes her fear that maybe she is a lesbian, which she regards as a distinctly negative thing; she tries to find out exactly what a lesbian is, and whether she really is one or not. She decides to ask her mother about it, though she is embarrassed and wonders what her mother will think of the question. When she does talk to her mother, her mother assures her that there is nothing wrong with her at all; but Maya is not totally convinced by her mother's assurances.

She has a friend of hers over to spend the night, and is intrigued by the sight of her getting changed. Again, she thinks that she must be abnormal, and sets out to prove to herself that she is not. She decides to get a boyfriend, to prove to herself that she is a woman; so, she asks a good-looking neighbor boy to have sex with her, and they do. There is no pleasure or mystery in the experience, and it doesn't settle her mind either. But, a few weeks later, she finds out that she is pregnant.

Analysis:

Once again, Maya is faced with insecurity and shame on the subject of sex. More than anything, she worries what her mother and Bailey would think if they knew what was going on; her reaction parallels her reaction after the thing with Mr. Freeman. At this stage, she is so desperate to be seen as normal, at least in a sexual sense, that she feels a desperate need to reassure herself in any way she can.

Maya is confounded by stereotypes, and ideas of what she should be and look like as a woman. But even though she is insecure, she again demonstrates the same determination she showed driving the car down the mountain; she will prove to herself that she is normal, despite the consequences of doing so. The theme of gender pops up again in her life, coupled with gender expectations; and perhaps it is ironic that with as much as she has learned, she buys into these expectations herself. But she is not a victim, and makes up her mind to "take" what she wants; she may have been steered in the wrong direction, but she goes with determination.

Chapter 36:

Summary:

Maya is convinced that the world has ended; she is guilty about being pregnant, and loathes herself for what she has done. She writes Bailey and tells him, and he advises her not to tell her mother; she will finish high school, and then figure out how to deal with it. Her mother is too busy to notice that she is pregnant, which is good for Maya. Maya becomes interested in school again; she graduates, and then leaves her mother and Daddy Clidell a note saying that she has messed up, and is pregnant.

Daddy Clidell and her mother are supportive; they take care of Maya, and she has the baby and continues to live with them. Maya loves the baby, and is proud that it is hers alone. She is afraid to touch the child, and tries to convince her mother that she shouldn't sleep with the baby, because she might crush him. She falls asleep with her baby in the middle of the bed, and her mother on the other side; her mother wakes her up, and tells her not to move. Maya is lying on her side, with the baby touching her and her arm around the child. Her mother reassures Maya that if she means to do the right thing, she will, and Maya goes back to sleep without worry.

Analysis:

The theme of motherhood is the most important in this event in Maya's life; throughout the book, Angelou has regarded motherhood as something sacred and special, and even with her baby son it is no exception. Angelou's passage into motherhood marks her coming of age, and is also the end of her struggles of her young life. And although Maya regards the pregnancy as distinctly negative before she tells her parents, afterward, it becomes a "blessed event"; Maya is redeemed and cleansed through her child, and indeed the baby's birth represents a kind of rebirth for Maya.

The birth of Maya's baby is also the first time that someone actually belongs to her, and that she feel unconditional love for another. "He was beautiful and mine," Maya declares, regarding her child with love. The self-doubt that had plagued Maya is gone, as she has accomplished something she never anticipated. Her motherhood is a fitting end for the novel, since it signals the end of Maya's childhood, but also introduces her motherhood, which is one of the most important themes throughout the rest of her autobiography.

Mother tells Maya, "if you're for the right thing, then you do it without thinking"; this is valuable advice for Maya, and also one of the lessons of the novel. Although Maya has acted rashly and made mistakes growing up, in the end she's still a good person and things have come out for the best. Maya learns a valuable lesson in life, which is the value of following her heart; she will make mistakes in the years to come, but she manages to follow her heart, and everything does end up being for the best.

• Biography of Maya Angelou
• About I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Character List
• Major Themes
• Short Summary
• Full Summary and Analysis
• Summary and Analysis of Introduction to Chapter 6
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 7-12
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 13-18
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 19-24
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 25-30
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 31-36
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources
• Purchase I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Other Works
• Test Yourself! Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! Quiz 2
• Message Board on I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings