Growing up and surviving in this complex cruel world can be painful. The agony of learning about life and accepting oneself is a journey all people make at one point in their life. The sense of belong is a never-ending search. People and events that touch our lives can have a dramatic effect on us by influencing the decisions made as to finishing school, choosing a career, accepting responsibilities, and taking control or being controlled. Numerous people and events influence Maya, the narrator and main character, in the book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Maya's natural mother did influence Maya's decisions regarding living arrangements, finishing school and choosing a career.

Maya's mother would influence Maya even at a distance because her mother took charge of her life, her environment, and her men. Maya destroys the white doll her mother sent her for Christmas, but she keeps...