Alright everyone this is our final discussion for I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. What did you think? Please share your reviews and analysis as comments on this post.
I will add more analysis in a comment but I wanted to mention some of the references made by Maya in this last section of the novel. I think they are not only important to set the time frame but also very interesting to look into. I did some research into songs and a book that was mentioned in this story. By listening to and reading about these things, I can better imagine the atmosphere Maya lived in. She mentioned two songs: Tomorrow night by Lonnie Johnson and When The Swallows Come Back to Capistrano by Bobby Day. These songs don't belong to the genre of music most people listen to these days, but I encourage you all to listen to them and try to envision what Maya felt in hearing these songs.
I also encourage you to read this article about The Well of Loneliness. This way you can see a little more where Maya gained her information. Books for her were always a well of knowledge and she trusted their contents. I think it is important to understand the references she makes so that we may better understand her.
On another note, we will not be starting another novel until the new year. This will give us all some time to spend with family over the holidays. I will announce our next novel in mid-January. Over the holidays I will be reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and a novel called Shade. If you are looking for reading suggestions, you should choose a novel from my Already Read page.
Thank you all for reading and I wish you all a merry Christmas!
Sincerely,
Elysia
2 comments:
In the very last chapters of this novel, I think the most important thing to notice is Maya's struggle with growing up. We see many examples of her innocence as well as examples of her maturity. She is slowly becoming a woman before our eyes. I think the novel ends rather abruptly, but that it is a good ending. From here on, I believe Maya will act more mature and embrace her adult self rather than continue in her childish ways.
Did you enjoy reading this? What lessons do you think we should take from Maya's story?
I finally finished the novel and I have to agree that the novel ended abruptly. It seemed to me that she was almost rushing towards the end of the novel, or perhaps I was eager to finish the novel. Overall, the story seemed a little random but maybe Maya Angelou had intended this since growing up is a little unorganized and more often than not, all over the place. One thing that I did find quite interesting was Maya's observation of how the Black newcomers, who had been previously discriminated against, were able to discriminate against the old Japanese residents. While it may not be a pleasant occurrence, it is an accurate description of how power can influence people.
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