Through the composition of her autobiography, "I Know why the Caged Bird Sings", Maya Angelou presents herself as a caged bird. A young black woman tainted with fear. Bound within the constraints of systemic racism and segregation. Emotionally unstable and insecure. Her plight to uncover her identity and sense of belonging is exemplified within the text. She perceives herself as a character who is naive to the horrors of the world. She is ignorant, yet wise. Weak, but strong as an individual. She is scared of the world and what it holds. Unable to speak in a discriminatory society, where the voice is silenced, she sings. Angelou sings of her pain and terror. She sings for belonging. She sees herself as a bird, caged within the bars of racism and deceit, with nothing but her voice to liberate herself. |