I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou - 1609 Words

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou displays several characters who each own a voice that they make their own. Throughout the memoir, the reader learns about Angelou’s life, including the people that she grew up with as a child. One of the main characters that had a significant impact on Angelou as she was growing up was her brother, Bailey. Bailey helped Angelou understand the life around her as she was trying to navigate the world. He was a strong role model that she could look up to. He looked out for her, whether it be by standing up to adults who called her ugly or giving her essential advice that only a big brother could. However, Bailey also had a life of his own that we, as the audience, learn about through Angelou’s eyes. Bailey faced several challenges as he grew up, but never failed to use his voice in his own, unique way. We learn a lot about Bailey and his voice through his relationship with Angelou. Neither Angelou nor Bailey had the traditional family setup of a mother, father, and children. Instead, they both looked to Momma and Uncle Willie to raise them as their â€Å"parents†. Later in the memoir new parental figures are introduced as Bailey and his sister start to build relationships with their mother, Vivian, and their father, Bailey, Sr. On top of their biological parents, Bailey and Angelou are also introduced to many other â€Å"parental figures† including Dolores and Daddy Clidell. So many people were introduced to the brother and sister that it’sShow MoreRelatedI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou1391 Words   |  6 PagesMaya Angelou’s debut autobiography is an article of literature that depicts the life of a young black girl growing up in a world pitted against her, and the resilience she found in herself in order to survive. Angelou is a voice t hat is not often heard. In a world dominated by a white male narrative, the plights of the minority are often overshadowed. Thus, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is an imperative novel as it articulates the life of not only Angelou, but also of the unique experiences thatRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou Essay2303 Words   |  10 PagesOne of the quotes that Maya Angelou spoke about goes â€Å"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.† In two of the poems written by Maya Angelou ‘I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,’ which inspired millions of readers helped tackle difficulties related to themes such as racism, sexual abuse, equality. â€Å"Still I Rise† explores the idea of racial discrimination along with Abel Meeropol â€Å"Strange Fruit† and ‘Caged Bird’ which was sang by AliciaRead MoreI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou6502 Words   |  27 PagesAnalysis: Chapters 1–5 The lines from the poem Maya cannot finish, â€Å"What are you looking at me for? I didn’t come to stay . . .† capture two of the most significant issues she struggles with in her childhood and young adulthood: feeling ugly and awkward and never feeling attached to one place. First, Maya imagines that though people judge her unfairly by her awkward looks, they will be surprised one day when her true self emerges. At the time, she hopes that she will emerge as if in a fairy-taleRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou886 Words   |  4 PagesChampion of the World is a chapter in Maya Angelou s book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings where the focal point describes a very significant event to the African American people during her adolescence. It shows a 1930’s black community fired up about a fight over racial resentment build up over the past years. The famous African American boxer, Joe Louis, it fighting for his title against a white contender. The story explains in detail the overwhelming amount of excitement and eagerness comingRead MoreEssay on I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou2409 Words   |  10 Pagesskin. Since they were evidently treated differently, many despised the fact that they were black. As a result of their helpless circumstances, it was understandable that many blacks during that time lacked confidence and self-acceptance. Maya Angelou was an African American girl who grew up during this challenging time. During her childhood, she witnessed and experienced racial prejudice first hand. She had difficultly understanding and accepting the consequences that accompanied belongingRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou Analysis840 Words   |  4 Pagesperson is none other than Maya Angelou. Angelou has been a famous American poet since the release of her 1969 autobiography, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. Angelou has inspired many people by telling her life story to the public, but not only did she inspire, she also created a very different and personal point of view of the world we live in. The poem’s she has written transition from pain and suffering or to courage and confidence. Nonetheless, even though Angelou wrote mostly about anguishedRead MoreMaya Angelou s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings913 Words   |  4 Pages Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sin gs is an autobiography that describes the coming of age of a Southern black girl who overcomes society’s cruelty as she grows up. Taking place in Stamps, Kansas during the 1930s, the autobiography captures Marguerite Ann Johnson’s, or Maya’s, battle of finding herself and coming to terms with who she is while growing up in a time period comprised of oppression and discrimination. Furthermore, Maya endures many childhood hardships due to her race, and sheRead MoreMaya Angelou s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings701 Words   |  3 PagesMaya Angelou: â€Å" I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings† In this poem Maya Angelou talks about the civil rights movement. She also express her personal life of what she went through such as being raped at the age of 6 by her mother’s boyfriend and also becoming mute for 5 years. She also states how she got pregnant and had to raise a child at 16. All these events led up to writing this poem from a caged bird that sings point of view. â€Å"Remembrance† In this poem Maya Angelou express how she was being rapedRead MoreMaya Angelou s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings1888 Words   |  8 Pages Maya Angelou once said â€Å"We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated† and this phrase speaks volume in comparison to Angelou’s life story. She was born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. The name Maya was given to her by her older brother, Bailey Jr. Maya Angelou is not only a sister, but also an inspirational role model, a mother, an author, a poet, a civil rights activist, and an actor. In 1969 Angelou’s world renowned book â€Å"I Know Why the Caged BirdRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings By Maya Angelou2313 Words   |  10 Pagesknown as â€Å"Maya† sees beauty as being a blond white girl instead of an African American girl. Becoming a white girl is the only way she feels that she can escape the black hole that she feels she’s so constantly sucked int o. In the book, â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings†, written by Maya Angelou, Marguerite states â€Å"I was going to look like one of the sweet little white girls who were everybody s dream of what was right with the world†(Introduction). Also, Marguerite states â€Å"Because I was really

The Host Chapter 33 Doubted Free Essays

Another splash. Kyle’s weight tortured my arms. â€Å"Wanda? Wanda!† â€Å"Help me! Kyle! The floor! Help!† I had my face pressed against the stone, my eyes toward the cave entrance. We will write a custom essay sample on The Host Chapter 33: Doubted or any similar topic only for you Order Now The light was bright overhead as the day dawned. I held my breath. My arms screamed. â€Å"Wanda! Where are you?† Ian leaped through the door, the rifle in his hands, held low and ready. His face was the angry mask his brother had worn. â€Å"Watch out!† I screamed at him. â€Å"The floor is breaking up! I can’t hold him much longer!† It took him two long seconds to process the scene that was so different from the one he’d been expecting-Kyle, trying to kill me. The scene that had been, just seconds ago. Then he threw the gun to the cave floor and started toward me with a long stride. â€Å"Get down-disperse your weight!† He dropped to all fours and scuttled to me, his eyes burning in the light of dawn. â€Å"Don’t let go,† he cautioned. I groaned in pain. He assessed for another second, and then slid his body behind mine, pushing me closer to the rock. His arms were longer than mine. Even with me in the way, he was able to get his hands around his brother. â€Å"One, two, three,† he grunted. He pulled Kyle up against the rock, much more securely than I’d had him. The movement smashed my face into the pillar. The bad side, though-it couldn’t get much more scarred at this point. â€Å"I’m going to pull him to this side. Can you squeeze out?† â€Å"I’ll try.† I loosened my hold on Kyle, feeling my shoulders ache in relief, making sure Ian had him. Then I wriggled out from between Ian and the rock, careful not to put myself on a dangerous section of the floor. I crawled backward a few feet toward the door, ready to make a grab for Ian if he started slipping. Ian hauled his inert brother around one side of the pillar, dragging him in jerks, a foot at a time. More of the floor crumbled, but the foundation of the pillar remained intact. A new shelf formed about two feet out from the column of rock. Ian crawled backward the way I had, dragging his brother along in short surges of muscle and will. Within a minute, we were all three in the mouth of the corridor, Ian and I breathing in gasps. â€Å"What†¦ the hell†¦ happened?† â€Å"Our weight†¦ was too†¦ much. Floor caved in.† â€Å"What were you doing†¦ by the edge? With Kyle?† I put my head down and concentrated on breathing. Well, tell him. What will happen then? You know what will happen. Kyle broke the rules. Jeb will shoot him, or they’ll kick him out. Maybe Ian will beat the snot out of him first. That would be fun to watch. Melanie didn’t really mean it-I didn’t think so, anyway. She was just still mad at me for risking our lives to save our would-be murderer. Exactly, I told her. And if they kick Kyle out for me†¦ or kill him†¦ I shuddered. Well, can’t you see how little sense that would make? He’s one of you. We’ve got a life here, Wanda. You’re jeopardizing that. It’s my life, too. And I’m†¦ well, I’m me. Melanie groaned in disgust. â€Å"Wanda?† Ian demanded. â€Å"Nothing,† I muttered. â€Å"You’re a rotten liar. You know that, right?† I kept my head down and breathed. â€Å"What did he do?† â€Å"Nothing,† I lied. Poorly. Ian put his hand under my chin, pulled my face up. â€Å"Your nose is bleeding.† He twisted my head to the side. â€Å"And there’s more blood in your hair.† â€Å"I-hit my head when the floor fell.† â€Å"On both sides?† I shrugged. Ian glared at me for a long moment. The darkness of the tunnel muted the brilliance of his eyes. â€Å"We should get Kyle to Doc-he really cracked his head when he went down.† â€Å"Why are you protecting him? He tried to kill you.† It was a statement of fact, not a question. His expression slowly melted from anger to horror. He was imagining what we had been doing on that unstable shelf-I could see that in his eyes. When I did not answer, he spoke again in a whisper. â€Å"He was going to throw you in the river†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A strange tremor shook his body. Ian had one arm around Kyle-he’d collapsed that way and seemed too tired to move. Now he shoved his unconscious brother away roughly, sliding farther from him in disgust. He slid into me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He pulled me close against his chest-I could feel his breath go in and out, still more ragged than normal. It felt very strange. â€Å"I should roll him right back in there and kick him over the edge myself.† I shook my head frantically, making it throb in pain. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Saves time. Jeb made the rules clear. You try to hurt someone here, there are penalties. There’ll be a tribunal.† I tried to pull away from him, but he tightened his grip. It wasn’t frightening, not like the way Kyle had grabbed me. But it was upsetting-it threw me off balance. â€Å"No. You can’t do that, because no one broke the rules. The floor collapsed, that’s all.† â€Å"Wanda -â€Å" â€Å"He’s your brother.† â€Å"He knew what he was doing. He’s my brother, yes, but he did what he did, and you are†¦ you are†¦ my friend.† â€Å"He did nothing. He is human,† I whispered. â€Å"This is his place, not mine.† â€Å"We’re not having this discussion again. Your definition of human is not the same as mine. To you, it means something†¦ negative. To me, it’s a compliment-and by my definition, you are and he isn’t. Not after this.† â€Å"Human isn’t a negative to me. I know you now. But Ian, he’s your brother.† â€Å"A fact that shames me.† I pushed away from him again. This time, he let me go. It might have had something to do with the moan of pain that escaped my lips when I moved my leg. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"I think so. We need to find Doc, but I don’t know if I can walk. I-I hit my leg, when I fell.† A growl strangled in his throat. â€Å"Which leg? Let me see.† I tried to straighten out my hurt leg-it was the right one-and groaned again. His hands started at my ankle, testing the bones, the joints. He rotated my ankle carefully. â€Å"Higher. Here.† I pulled his hand to the back of my thigh, just above the knee. I moaned again when he pressed the sore place. â€Å"It’s not broken or anything, I don’t think. Just really sore.† â€Å"Deep muscle bruise, at least,† he muttered. â€Å"And how did this happen?† â€Å"Must have†¦ landed on a rock when I fell.† He sighed. â€Å"Okay, let’s get you to Doc.† â€Å"Kyle needs him more than I do.† â€Å"I have to go find Doc anyway-or some help. I can’t carry Kyle that far, but I can certainly carry you. Oops-hold on.† He turned abruptly and ducked back into the river room. I decided I wouldn’t argue with him. I wanted to see Walter before†¦ Doc had promised to wait for me. Would that first dose of painkiller wear off soon? My head swam. There was so much to worry about, and I was so tired. The adrenaline had drained, leaving me empty. Ian came back with the gun. I frowned because this reminded me that I’d wished for it before. I didn’t like that. â€Å"Let’s go.† Without thinking, he handed the gun to me. I let it fall into my open palms, but I couldn’t curl my hands around it. I decided it was a suitable punishment, to have to carry the thing. Ian chuckled. â€Å"How anyone could be afraid of you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he mumbled to himself. He picked me up easily and was moving before I was settled. I tried to keep the tenderest parts-the back of my head, the back of my leg-from resting on him too hard. â€Å"How’d your clothes get so wet?† he asked. We were passing under one of the fist-sized skylights, and I could see the hint of a grim smile on his pale lips. â€Å"I don’t know,† I muttered. â€Å"Steam?† We passed into darkness again. â€Å"You’re missing a shoe.† â€Å"Oh.† We passed through another beam of light, and his eyes flashed sapphire. They were serious now, locked on my face. â€Å"I’m†¦ very glad that you weren’t hurt, Wanda. Hurt worse, I should say.† I didn’t answer. I was afraid of giving him something to use against Kyle. Jeb found us just before we hit the big cave. There was enough light for me to see the sharp glint of curiosity in his eyes when he saw me in Ian’s arms, face bleeding, the gun resting gingerly on my open hands. â€Å"You were right, then,† Jeb guessed. The curiosity was strong, but the steel in his tone was stronger. His jaw was tight beneath the fan of his beard. â€Å"I didn’t hear a shot. Kyle?† â€Å"He’s unconscious,† I said in a rush. â€Å"You need to warn everyone-part of the floor collapsed in the river room. I don’t know how stable it is now. Kyle hit his head really hard trying to get out of the way. He needs Doc.† Jeb raised one eyebrow so high it almost touched the faded bandanna at his hairline. â€Å"That’s the story,† Ian said, making no effort to conceal his doubt. â€Å"And she’s apparently sticking to it.† Jeb laughed. â€Å"Let me take that off your hands,† he said to me. I let him have the gun willingly. He laughed again at my expression. â€Å"I’ll get Andy and Brandt to help me with Kyle. We’ll follow behind you.† â€Å"Keep a close eye on him when he wakes up,† Ian said in a hard tone. â€Å"Can do.† Jeb slouched off, looking for more hands. Ian hurried me toward the hospital cave. â€Å"Kyle could be really hurt†¦ Jeb should hurry.† â€Å"Kyle’s head is harder than any rock in this place.† The long tunnel felt longer than usual. Was Kyle dying, despite my efforts? Was he conscious again and looking for me? What about Walter? Was he sleeping†¦ or gone? Had the Seeker given up her hunt, or would she be back now that it was light again? Will Jared still be with Doc? Mel added her questions to mine. Will he be angry when he sees you? Will he know me? When we reached the sunlit southern cave, Jared and Doc didn’t look like they’d moved much. They leaned, side by side, against Doc’s makeshift desk. It was quiet as we approached. They weren’t talking, just watching Walter sleep. They started up with wide eyes as Ian carried me into the light and laid me on the cot next to Walter’s. He straightened my right leg carefully. Walter was snoring. That sound eased some of my tension. â€Å"What now?† Doc demanded angrily. He was bending over me as soon as the words were out, wiping at the blood on my cheek. Jared’s face was frozen in surprise. He was being careful, not letting the expression give way to anything else. â€Å"Kyle,† Ian answered at the same time that I said, â€Å"The floor -â€Å" Doc looked back and forth between us, confused. Ian sighed and rolled his eyes. Absently, he laid one hand lightly on my forehead. â€Å"The floor crumbled by the first river hole. Kyle fell back and cracked his head on a rock. Wanda saved his worthless life. She says she fell, too, when the floor gave.† Ian gave Doc a meaningful look. â€Å"Something,† he said the word sarcastically, â€Å"bashed the back of her head pretty good.† He started listing. â€Å"Her nose is bleeding but not broken, I don’t think. She’s got some damage to the muscle here.† He touched my sore thigh. â€Å"Knees sliced up pretty good, got her face again, but I think maybe I did that, trying to pull Kyle out of the hole. Shouldn’t have bothered.† Ian muttered the last part. â€Å"Anything else?† Doc asked. At that moment, his fingers, probing along my side, reached the place where Kyle had punched me. I gasped. Doc tugged my shirt up, and I heard both Ian and Jared hiss at what they saw. â€Å"Let me guess,† Ian said in a voice like ice. â€Å"You fell on a rock.† â€Å"Good guess,† I agreed, breathless. Doc was still touching my side, and I was trying to hold back whimpers. â€Å"Might have broken a rib, not sure,† Doc murmured. â€Å"I wish I could give you something for the pain -â€Å" â€Å"Don’t worry about that, Doc,† I panted. â€Å"I’m okay. How’s Walter? Did he wake up at all?† â€Å"No, it will take some time to sleep that dose off,† Doc said. He took my hand and started bending my wrist, my elbow. â€Å"I’m okay.† His kind eyes were soft as he met my gaze. â€Å"You will be. You’ll just have to rest for a while. I’ll keep an eye on you. Here, turn your head.† I did as he asked, and then winced while he examined my wound. â€Å"Not here,† Ian muttered. I couldn’t see Doc, but Jared threw Ian a sharp look. â€Å"They’re bringing Kyle. I’m not having them in the same room.† Doc nodded. â€Å"Probably wise.† â€Å"I’ll get a place ready for her. I’ll need you to keep Kyle here until†¦ until we decide what to do with him.† I started to speak, but Ian put his fingers on my lips. â€Å"All right,† Doc agreed. â€Å"I’ll tie him down, if you want.† â€Å"If we have to. Is it okay to move her?† Ian glanced toward the tunnel, his face anxious. Doc hesitated. â€Å"No,† I whispered, Ian’s fingers still touching my mouth. â€Å"Walter. I want to be here for Walter.† â€Å"You’ve saved all the lives you can save today, Wanda,† Ian said, his voice gentle and sad. â€Å"I want to say†¦ to say good-goodbye.† Ian nodded. Then he looked at Jared. â€Å"Can I trust you?† Jared’s face flushed with anger. Ian held up his hand. â€Å"I don’t want to leave her here unprotected while I find her a safe place,† Ian said. â€Å"I don’t know if Kyle will be conscious when he arrives. If Jeb shoots him, it will upset her. But you and Doc should be able to handle him. I don’t want Doc to be on his own, and force Jeb’s hand.† Jared spoke through clenched teeth. â€Å"Doc won’t be on his own.† Ian hesitated. â€Å"She’s been through hell in the past couple of days. Remember that.† Jared nodded once, teeth still clamped together. â€Å"I’ll be here,† Doc reminded Ian. Ian met his gaze. â€Å"Okay.† He leaned over me, and his luminous eyes held mine. â€Å"I’ll be back soon. Don’t be afraid.† â€Å"I’m not.† He ducked in and touched his lips to my forehead. No one was more surprised than I, though I heard Jared gasp quietly. My mouth hung open as Ian wheeled and nearly sprinted from the room. I heard Doc pull a breath in through his teeth, like a backward whistle. â€Å"Well,† he said. They both stared at me for a long moment. I was so tired and sore, I barely cared what they were thinking. â€Å"Doc -† Jared started to say something in an urgent tone, but a clamor from the tunnel interrupted him. Five men struggled through the opening. Jeb, in front, had Kyle’s left leg in his arms. Wes had the right leg, and behind them, Andy and Aaron worked to support his torso. Kyle’s head lolled back over Andy’s shoulder. â€Å"Stars, but he’s heavy,† Jeb grunted. Jared and Doc sprang forward to help. After a few minutes of cursing and groaning, Kyle was lying on a cot a few feet away from mine. â€Å"How long has he been out, Wanda?† Doc asked me. He pulled Kyle’s eyelids back, letting the sunlight shine into his pupils. â€Å"Um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I thought quickly. â€Å"As long as I’ve been here, the ten minutes or so it took Ian to carry me here, and then maybe five more minutes before that?† â€Å"At least twenty minutes, would you say?† â€Å"Yes. Close to that.† While we were consulting, Jeb had made his own diagnosis. No one paid any attention as he came to stand at the head of Kyle’s cot. No one paid any attention-until he turned an open bottle of water over Kyle’s face. â€Å"Jeb,† Doc complained, knocking his hand away. But Kyle sputtered and blinked, and then moaned. â€Å"What happened? Where did it go?† He started to shift his weight, trying to look around. â€Å"The floor†¦ is moving†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kyle’s voice had my fingers clenching the sides of my cot and panic washing through me. My leg ached. Could I limp away? Slowly, perhaps†¦ â€Å"‘S okay,† someone murmured. Not someone. I would always know that voice. Jared moved to stand between my cot and Kyle’s, his back to me, his eyes on the big man. Kyle rolled his head back and forth, groaning. â€Å"You’re safe,† Jared said in a low voice. He didn’t look at me. â€Å"Don’t be afraid.† I took a deep breath. Melanie wanted to touch him. His hand was close to mine, resting on the edge of my cot. Please, no, I told her. My face hurts quite enough as it is! He won’t hit you. You think. I’m not willing to risk it. Melanie sighed; she yearned to move toward him. It wouldn’t have been so hard to bear if I weren’t yearning also. Give him time, I pleaded. Let him get used to us. Wait till he really believes. She sighed again. â€Å"Aw, hell!† Kyle grumbled. My gaze flickered toward him at the sound of his voice. I could just see his bright eyes around Jared’s elbow, focused on me. â€Å"It didn’t fall!† he complained. How to cite The Host Chapter 33: Doubted, Essay examples

Leadership Styles in Organizational Management free essay sample

A look at leadership styles in organizational management that incorporates economic changes and new workforce requirements. This paper examines various changes in workforce and economic requirements and the type of leadership styles necessary to deal with such changes. The author examines theories such as the situational leadership theory that takes such changes into consideration. Organizational management is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to better understanding and more effective, efficient management of human resources in an organization. It is both research and application oriented, drawing on a diverse array of disciplines, including psychology, management, sociology, social psychology, statistics, anthropology, general systems theory, economics, information technology, vocational counseling, stress management, psychometrics, ergonomics and ethics. This combination of diverse factors and perspectives has spawned many competing theories about human work behavior; in fact, in the mind-1980s, a researcher had identified 110 separate and distinct theories about behavior and organizational management (Miner, 1984, p. 307).