After their parents' separation, young Marguerite (her given name) and her brother, Bailey, are sent to live with their strong-willed grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas, deep in the segregated South. Angelou also describes her time spent with her other grandmother in St. Louis, as well as her young adulthood in San Francisco. The overall time period of the book overlaps that of World War II.

"I Know..." offers important insights into the world of racial segregation, and painfully records the toll taken by racism in its various forms. Also powerful and important is Angelou's recollection of surviving a brutal sexual assault when she was a child. Angelou recalls vividly the authors who made an impact on her during her childhood and young adulthood: James Weldon Johnson, Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, and others. The book concludes with her sexual awakening as a young woman.

"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is an American classic which has lost none of its power in the 30 years since it first appeared. Angelou's prose is direct and personal, and marked with passages of wit and beauty. For scholars of African-American literature, women's studies, or literary autobiography, this is an essential volume.


READ MY REVIEW!   May 16, 2000
 53 out of 67 found this review helpful

The following is a review of Maya Angalou's autobiography, I know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Read while discussing the great American novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, in my eighth grade English class, the assignment was to compare the differences in point of view, between the two authors, Angalou and Lee. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings expresses the opinions of an African-American girl, growing up in the mid 1940's-50's. Throughout her life the girl, Marguerite, finds herself oppressed by different race related issues. As her goals in life change, her points of view fluctuate from highly optimistic and confident, to severe self hatred and depression to the point of wanting to commit suicide. She feels her life to be beyond her control and completely insignificant because she is black. She has accepted racism and feels that things will never change. People like Abraham Lincoln, who try to prevent racism, have just made things worse (in Marguerite's opinion) by presenting the idea of change, and at one point in the story, Marguerite wishes that all people like Lincoln had never been born. She feels defeated and finds little value in life, all because of racism and segregation. This point of view on racism represents that of many African people in the time of this story, while Lee in, To Kill a Mockingbird, expresses an opposite point of view, an optimistic one, where change is something that is on its way and welcomed by the black community. Lee and Angelou are both women, though Lee is white and Angelou is black their stories are similar in many ways (they both involve a rape and map out the story of a girl growing up in racist America), but ware they vary reflects upon their of point of view. Black people have been the victims and Angalou's story illustrates their point of view, while white people have been the cause of the problem and Lee's story narrates from that point of view. This shows how one's interpretation of a situation is a casual factor in ones point of view. Reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has enlightened me of more racial issues, and beside from gaining a wealth of new vocabulary through reading Angalou's flowery writing, I also enjoyed my self, as Angalou's poetic style is most pleasing and intriguing.


A very moving life story   January 27, 2002
 44 out of 51 found this review helpful

I don't remember who, but someone once said something like, "One death is a tragedy, but a thousand deaths is just statistic." This is sort of the way to describe the way I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings impacts the reader. Through her story, you can really come to understand the life of an American black female in the 1930s. From the first years of Maya Angelou's childhood, life was very difficult. Shipped away from her parents to live with her grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas, pretending for years that the reason she lived with her grandmother was because her parents were dead...then finding out that her parents were in fact alive, making it seem as if Maya was not wanted. In a segregated town full of prejudicce and injustice, Maya lives until around age 7, when she is finally taken to live with her mother. Although this may seem to be a change for the better, things take a turn when young Maya is raped by her mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. When Mr. Freeman is put on trial and is later murdered, Maya believes it is her fault and stops talking. After a long time of silence, Maya meets people who will change her life forever, including Mrs. Flowers, who introduces Maya to the wonderful world of poetry. With the help of Maya's mother, Mrs. Flowers, and other influential people and situations, could Maya finally find happiness? Everyone should read this book, because it reveals the true emotions and feelings that were felt by American blacks. This book will make you cry, laugh, and run right out to buy the sequel, Gather Together In My Name.


I agree this book is amazing.   March 27, 2004
 29 out of 30 found this review helpful

In a poetic, yet detatched way, Maya Angelou captures the heart of her struggles growing up female and Black during the Depression. Her style and description draw in the reader and keep her spellbound even during the most painful scenes. You feel deeply for the author and her little brother as they drift through their lives living for a bit of affection. Neglected by their divorced parents, Maya and her brother get sent to Arkansas at ages 4 and 5 to live with their grandma and handicapped uncle. Although life is hard and love not demonstrated, Maya learns much from her grandma and uncle.

The theme of this book is the quest for the child to be loved by the adult. Maya feels inferior. She feels ugly and compares herself to her magical brother Bailey. Both children are starved for true affection and daydream a white movie actress on the screen is their long lost mother.

Maya and her brother are eventually united with "Mother Dear" in St.Louis when she is eight. Unfortunately Mother's boyfriend begins to abuse Maya(...). This is graphically portrayed in the book. Maya's feelings of not belonging and not being truly loved are compounded after the abuse.

I admire all the autobiographical books by Ms.Angelou. She has achieved a lot in her life for a person who started out in such a sad situation.

This book should be read and re-read.


A good book, although the ending is rushed.   December 2, 1999
 27 out of 31 found this review helpful

I was intrigued by the mixed ratings of this book & the various comments about Maya Angelou being racist towards whites. This book is written throught the eyes of a young black child growing up in a community where there is segregation & discrimination on account of skin colour. To see 'differences' between 'black' & 'white' is something she has grown up with.

Taken by her Grandmother with severe toothache to a white dentist (the black dentist being a days journey away), Maya is refused treatment with the excuse - "I'd rather put my hand in a dogs mouth than in some niggah." This man had borrowed money from Maya's Grandmother to keep his surgery open during the depression. He refuses to treat a 'black' child......but 'black' money is 'acceptable'. With such hypocrisy, surely you can understand how Maya would feel a little disgruntled towards her white countrymen? Who wouldn't?

Being a 'white' female, I will probably never encounter such racial discrimination or even understand how another person prejudices could effect your own peace of mind. Read it & remind yourself of the similarities between human beings rather than superficial differences.