For Maya Angelou, in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the American dream was somewhere over the bridge in the white part of town. Through her keen perception and her probing insight into her character Marguerite Johnson, she sees reality in all its beauty and ugliness. Eventually, Marguerite comes to terms with the fact that she is forever black and that she can succeed in a world filled with prejudice. The best example of this is her persistence in becoming the first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco. She has learned to outwit her tormentors, who include snobby whites, pretentious blacks, and most of the men she encounters along the difficult path of growing up.
Along the way, Marguerite has many mentors to guide her in I Know.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 467 words. This
study guide contains 27,210 words (approx. 91 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Access Pass.
