Idea Transcript
BRHS Summer Reading 2014 ~ Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ~ English 11 and 12 As you read, please answer each of the following questions / completions. Quick, pointed comments are acceptable. Sentence structure will not be assessed. Prologue • How does Marguerite feel about herself? Why? Chapter 1 • Why are Marguerite and Bailey living with Momma (Annie Henderson)? • What does the Store reveal about Momma? • What does the contrast between the morning and late afternoon cotton pickers reveal about Black Southern life? Chapter 2 • Why is Uncle Willie’s disability so challenging for him? • Why does the scene with the strangers give Marguerite the deepest understanding and intimacy she has ever had with Uncle Willie? • Why does Marguerite love Shakespeare? Why is this a problem? Chapter 3 • How does Marguerite feel about the Store? Why? • What does Marguerite think of Mr. Steward and his “act of kindness”? Chapter 4 • Describe the relationship between Bailey and Marguerite. • Describe the segregation in Stamps and how it influences Marguerite. Chapter 5 • Compare and contrast the “customary laws” that Marguerite and her peers follow vs. those of the “powhitetrash children.” • What is the “contest” between Momma and the girls? How does Momma win? Chapter 6 • How do Marguerite and Bailey feel about Reverend Howard Thomas? Why? • What does Momma expect of Bailey and Marguerite in church? What happens during the Sister Monroe incident? Chapter 7 • What are the main characteristics of Annie Henderson? • What is the significance of the legend that involves Mrs. Henderson? Chapter 8 • Compare/contrast specific conditions in the white and black communities. • Explain why the Christmas presents have such an impact on Bailey and Marguerite. Chapter 9 • Describe Bailey and Marguerite’s father and mother. • Compare and contrast the reactions of Bailey and Marguerite to their parents. Chapter 10 • Describe Grandmother Baxter and her family. • List differentiations between the educational experiences in St. Louis and Stamps for Bailey and Marguerite. Chapter 11 • Describe Mr. Freeman. • What conflicting emotions does Marguerite experience with Mr. Freeman? Why is she so confused? Chapter 12 • What fears torment Marguerite after the rape? Chapter 13 • Why does Marguerite feel she has to lie in court? • What happens to Mr. Freeman? What is implied by “His lawyer (or someone) got him released…”? • What impact does Mr. Freeman’s death have on Marguerite? • What happens to Marguerite and Bailey because of Marguerite’s decision to stop talking?
Chapter 14 • How do Bailey and Marguerite respond to being back in Stamps? Chapter 15 • Describe Mrs. Bertha Flowers. How does she provide Marguerite her “first life line”? • Why does Momma get so upset with Marguerite’s use of “by the way”? Chapter 16 • What makes Marguerite so angry with Mrs. Cullinan? How does she protest? Chapter 17 • Why is Momma so concerned when Bailey returns home late? • What has shaken Bailey into silence? What does this reveal about his relationship with his mother? Chapter 18 • What do the revival meetings reveal about the importance of Christianity in the African-American community? Chapter 19 • Why is the Joe Louis victory so important to the community? Chapter 20 • Why is the Louise Kendricks so important to Marguerite? • Why does Marguerite have such a difficult time with Tommy Valdon’s attentions? Chapter 21 • What is Joyce’s impact on Bailey? Chapter 22 • How does Mrs. Taylor’s death impact Marguerite? • What is the significance of Mr. Taylor’s vision? How does his story impact Marguerite? Chapter 23 • How does Mr. Donleavy nearly destroy Marguerite’s much anticipated graduation? • How does Henry Reed change the tone of the graduation? Chapter 24 • What connection does Momma have to Dentist Lincoln? How does he treat her and her request? • What is the significance of Marguerite’s version of Momma’s confrontation with Dentist Lincoln? Chapter 25 • What distresses Bailey so much? What does this lead Momma to do? Chapter 26 • What characteristics of Vivian Baxter stand out the most to Marguerite? Chapter 27 • Why does San Francisco appeal to Marguerite? • What are her main observations about race relations in the city? Chapter 28 • What does Marguerite learn from her different educational experiences? Chapter 29 • What does Marguerite think of Daddy Clidell and his friends? What does she learn from them? Chapter 31 • Describe the escalating conflict between Dolores Strickland and Marguerite. • Describe the relationship between Marguerite and her father. What does she feel about Mexico? • Why does Marguerite decide to leave her father and not return to her mother? Chapter 32 • How does Marguerite develop during her time in the junkyard? Chapter 33 • How does Marguerite react to the conflict between her mother and brother? Chapter 34 • What does Marguerite realize as she pursues her goal of becoming a streetcar conductorette? Chapter 35 • What are Marguerite’s concerns about her own sexuality, and what does she do to address her concerns? Chapter 36 • How does Marguerite handle her pregnancy? How do Vivian and Daddy Clidell respond to the news?
Some notes about THEME ~ the message the author wishes to convey about human life and existence. o Race and appearance In the world Maya grows up in, beauty is narrowly defined as being white, with blond hair and blue eyes. Maya believes as a child that being black means being ugly, and thinks of her appearance as a "black ugly dream" that she will wake out of. o Romance vs. Reality Seen in the lives of the cotton pickers of Stamps, and of Maya too; they become idealistic and happy, only to be cut down by the harshness of their lives. Young Maya often only thinks of the beauty and goodness of things; but her reveries are interrupted, as a harder reality destroys her illusions. o Influence of childhood Angelou shows how the knowledge and experience gained from childhood affects the rest of life, as the events she portrays in the book, however small or seemingly insignificant, shape her perceptions later. o Family Ties Very important to Maya growing up, though not every family bond yields the affection she needs. Her relationship with Bailey is probably the most vital family tie in her life, getting her through her childhood; the degrees of motherly support given to her by her birth mother and Momma Henderson are also vital to her upbringing. o Religion Vitally important to Momma Henderson and the black community of Stamps, religion keeps them going in the face of tough times. Maya is raised with a strong sense of religion, which serves as her moral guide; however, she is enough of a realist to see how people use it to help themselves feel better about adversity, and doesn't believe this is a completely good thing. o Abandonment Feelings of abandonment by their parents encroach on Maya and Bailey's happiness; after their father comes and leaves, and they are sent back to Stamps from St. Louis, they feel like they have been abandoned for reasons that are their own fault. Both children search for the love of a mother figure and father figure. o Gender As a girl, Maya sees her gender as very limiting; she thinks she can't be heroic like all the boys in her comics, just because she is a girl. She endures rape and a lot of limitations on her behavior because she is female; in parts of the narrative, being female is just as limiting for Maya as being black, and seems to be something to struggle against rather than embrace. o Resignation An important theme in Maya's story while she chooses not to speak, and withdraws willingly from people. She decides to stop being active and enjoying her life, and surrenders herself to silence and sullenness. She also resigns herself to the bad, mundane things in life, and takes little joy in the things around her. o Motherhood The story is often concerned with questions of motherhood, as Maya's mother and Momma are definitely crucial figures in her childhood. The autobiography ends with a new mother. Maya gains a sense of peace and fulfillment from her relationship with her mother, as well as …
Respond to at least four of these questions during and after reading. Along with your quick responses, these well written reflections will be assessed on 22 August 2014. 1. The text presents us with many variations of Maya’s name, culminating in a pivotal scene wherein Mrs. Viola Cullinan refers to Angelou as “Mary,” instead of “Marguerite.” What is the significance of this scene? How does Maya react? Are her actions justified? Explain. 2. Where does the title of the book come from and why is it significant? Where do we find this image of the caged bird applied in the story both literally and figuratively? 3. Following her rape, Marguerite becomes silent. Why does she refrain from speaking? What allows her to find her voice again? 4. What impact does literature have on Maya and her brother? Where in the story do we witness its effects? 5. Analyze the style of the book. Consider its structure as a whole, as well as the sentence structure and Angelou’s use of metaphor and simile. How does the style of the book relate to Angelou’s role as poet? Is the style characteristic of other autobiographical works? Why or why not? How does this affect our response to the story? 6. Why does Angelou devote an entire chapter to the Joe Louis fight? How do the characters in the book react to the fight? Why is it significant? What do we learn from this scene? 7. Is Maya’s view always accurate? Is she a reliable narrator? Why or why not? Consider the perspective of the story. Is it told solely through the eyes of the young Marguerite? Or is an older, wiser Angelou also present in the book? How does the narration affect our reception of the text? 8. How does Angelou’s own story reflect the social conventions and concerns of the day? Does it also reflect today’s social conventions and concerns? Explain. 9. Consider the role of truth in literature. Is it fair to say that the book is an autobiography, or is autobiographical fiction a more accurate categorization? What defines a work as autobiography and what distinguishes a work as fiction? Does Angelou’s use of literary devices such as dialogue, characterization, and cohesive themes change the categorization of the book? 10. Analyze Maya’s development throughout the story. How does the Maya at the conclusion of the story compare to the young Marguerite that we meet at the start? How has she changed? To what can these changes be attributed? 11. Is Maya’s portrayal of her parents accurate or should we be wary of it? Consider her descriptions of them and her reactions to both parents. 12. How does I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings address racial stereotypes? What is Maya’s view of “whitefolk” and how do the so-called “whitefolk” perceive African Americans? What do we learn about racism and prejudice? 13. In Chapter 23, Maya says “we survive in exact relationship to the dedication of our poets.” What does she mean by this? What does it say about the importance of literature? 14. Discuss an event that you consider to have been a critical part of your growth and development. How has your perception or understanding of this event changed (or remained the same) as you have grown older? How did this event help to define who you are? 15. Throughout the story Angelou references many works of literature which have inspired her. Does I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings share anything in common with these works of literature? Are we able to see their direct influence in her own work? For instance, do the characters in Angelou’s story and the stories she read as a youth share a similar fate or confront common obstacles? Does the subject matter of the work compare? Or the form and style? 16. Consider the book within the framework of the history of banned books. Why has this book been the subject of censorship? How does Angelou’s book confront issues of voice, freedom, and censorship?