I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings
Moral Development, Values, and Religion:
Discuss Maya’s thoughts about her grandmother’s religious beliefs. Why is the church so important to Momma?
Throughout the book, Maya struggles with feelings that she is “bad” and “sinful,” as her thoughts echo the admonitions of her strict religious upbringing. What does she learn at the end of the memoir about right and wrong?
Comment on southern fundamentalism and its influence on the children’s lives.
Gender and Sexuality:
After her rape, why does Maya refuse to talk to anyone but Bailey? Why will she talk to him? What is the significance of the book’s title as it relates to Maya’s self-imposed muteness?
Why does Maya choose to sleep with the neighborhood boy?
Peers and the Sociocultural World:
Angelou states: “The black female is assaulted in her tender years by all those common forces of nature at the same time that she is caught in the tripartite crossfire of masculine prejudice, white illogical hate, and black lack of power.” Find three incidents in the book which illustrate Maya’s encounter with each part of this ‘tripartite crossfire.’ How do these experiences as a victim of gender and race discrimination shape her character?
The author writes, “If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat.” What do you make of the author’s portrayal of race?
How do Maya and her family cope with the racial tension that permeates their lives? Find three scenes of blatant racism in the text and discuss Maya’s reaction to each and how they may have impacted her development.
The Self, Identity, and Personality:
The memoir opens with a provocative refrain: “What you looking at me for? I didn’t come to stay …” What do you think this passage says about Maya’s sense of herself? How does she feel about her place in the world? How does she keep her identity intact?
Why does Maya dislike herself? How does she learn to recognize her positive qualities?
Families, Lifestyles, and Parenting:
What secrets does Maya share with her brother? How does her relationship with her brother develop as they both grow older? Describe the relationship between Maya and Bailey and how it changes in the book.
Upon seeing her mother for the first time after years of separation, Maya describes her as “a hurricane in its perfect power.” What do you think about Maya’s relationship with her mother? How does it compare to her relationship with her grandmother, “Momma”?
Describe Momma and what influence she has on Maya’s life.
Using examples from the book, discuss whether or not Vivian is often an unfit mother and Daddy Bailey is an unfit father.
Compare and contrast Daddy Bailey and Daddy Clidell. Who is the better father? Why?
There are several times in the book when Maya asserts her independence. Explain several of these and why they are important to her overall development.
How does Maya respond to the violence in her life and society?
Emotional Development:
Maya and Bailey are near-orphans. Discuss this idea, using examples from the text to show how they are abandoned several times.
Schools, Achievement, and Work:
What kind of student is Maya? Prove your answer with examples from the book.
Why does Maya fight for the job of conductor? How did her fight compare with the expectations of the day?
Discuss the importance of role models and how they can affect a child’s life and future. Who were Maya’s role models and how did they impact her?
Discuss how a person’s adult character is formed by both beautiful and ugly childhood experiences. Illustrate with specific examples from the book.
Discuss child and adolescent development, including such issues as race, emotional development, and the difficulty of self-examination and exhuming painful memories.
Describe Maya at the beginning of the book and contrast her to the young lady she becomes at the end of the book.
