I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing "cages"

I know why the caged bird sings:"Cages"

The poem I know why the caged bird sings is based on the first line of Laurence Dunbar poem Sympathy. The poem is also based off of Maya Angelou's life. Born Marguerite Johnson. The title first began out as the book.

While growing up Marguerite 3 and Bailey 4 was sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas.Marguerite and Bailey was raised by their grandmother while growing up they had no contact with their parents. They didn't know why their parents sent them off. For a long time they thought they were sent off because they were bad children. At the age of eight and nine, Marguerite and Bailey's father came from California to take them to live in St. Louis where their mother stayed. Marguerite and Bailey's father left to go back to California. In St. Louis the children met their grandparents, three uncles, and even their mother's boyfriend Mr. Freeman, whom later raped Marguerite at the age of eight. Marguerite told no one, her brother found out one day by changing her bed sheets, he found blood all over her under garments, she was then forced to talk. Mr. Freeman was put on trial but was let out on bail. He was murdered later on that day after he was out on bail. Marguerite and Bailey moved back to Stamps, Arkansas to live with their grandmother. Marguerite confided in her brother she feels like a caged bird.

A free bird is free to go where ever it pleases. It doesn't have to wait to be fed it can make it's home anywhere. A caged bird is meant to die in the cage. The caged bird only outlet of freedom is to sing only to be startled by this human looking figure yelling at it telling it to be quiet. Why would they want the bird to stop singing. The birds outside are singing and aren't yelled at, is it because their free, it has to be that they aren't caged and are free to roam. The caged bird becomes a pet.

A major "Cage" for Maya was that she was black in prejudice southern own. Maya has recounted in her book the times when she was discriminated against. When she was working for a white woman named Mrs. Viola Cullinan, Mrs. Cullinan started calling her Mary, "That's (Margaret) too long. She's Mary frrom now on." (p.g 91) One of the most important aspects of aperson is their nme. It is a great insult for someone to change your name, without your consent.