This book was about a African American woman growing up in the depression dealing with racism. According to enotes I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings won critical acclaim and was nominated for the National Book Award. Ann Smith in Southern Humanities Review, "Angelou's genius as a writer is her ability to recapture the texture of the way of life in the texture of its idioms, its idiosyncratic vocabulary and especially in its process of image-making."
I think that this book is really important for every individual to read. First of all I think that it is important because it tells a lot about the things that went on back in the day. It shows that the harder your parent or gardian is on you the better you will turn out to be. If you growed up in a strick place and lived with strick people you can easily see what people expect out of you. If you know what people expect out of you you will do anything to make the one's you love happy.
This book is also important because even though Maya Angelou was growing up in a rascists place she didn't give up her hopes and dreams. I think that the way her and her family grew up made her want to make a difference in the world today. She is trying to describe to use the way she growed up back then around the 1930's. It was alot of things going on that can not be explained because it is crucial.
This book made a difference to me because Maya Angelou found herslef because she knew that if she didn't know herself deep down she wouldn't have anything to live for. She wouldn't have any dreams. I like Maya Angelou because after reading her book I know that we are alike. She never gives up and I never give up. No matter how hard things get I have to live and make something of myself for my kids and family and I can tell thats why she did it.
This book taught me that im not the only person who have a lot of challenges. Even though I have kids it's people in the world without kids that struggles a lot more than I do. I also learned that you can start off doing something that doesn't matter to anyone and you can work yourself to the top and get to the point that everyonw wishes they were you. I really injoyed Maya Angelou's book's and poem's because her words come from her heart. You can tell that she not just making up things because she's experienced everything she talks and wrights about.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
British Novel Essay #1
This book and Maya's life connects alike. Its almost like when she wrote "I know why the caged birds sing" she was writing her Biography. From the research I did her mother's name was Vivan Johnson, her name wasa Marguerite Johnson, and her brother's name was Bailey just like in the book. She growed up in Stamps and she stayed with her grandma. The important events in her life were the same during her childhood.
All of her grandmother's hard work paid off because later on in her life she made big accomplishments. As you can see she wrote some books. In high school Maya won a scholarship in dance and drama to California Labor school. She became San Francisco's 1st African American female streetcar conductor. When she was sixteen she gave birth to a baby boy. His name was Guy Johnson. I thought that with her being raped she would be scared to put trust in another man so quickly but evidentally not.
At the age of twenty-two she got married to Tosh Angelou but the marriage did not last but a few years. To support herself and her son with out the father she had three jobs. She worked as a cook, night club singer and a waitress. I would do the same thing to support me and my kids. I can relate to this because I had my first child at sixteen and I had to work hard to get what he needed so I quick school for about seven months to make sure he had what he needed, because I know it's hard being a single mom. I know that it was probably harder back then with all the racism and stuff.
Later on after earning enough money to get on her feet Maya became a inspired book and poem wrighter. She moved to New York and joined the Harlem Writers Guild. In 1960 Guy moved to Egypt, where Maya was an editor for Arab Observer. Two years later they moved to Ghana, where she worked for three years as a writer and a administrator for the University of Ghana and as a editor for the African Review.
Maya has earned The Ladies Home Journal Woman of the year award, The Golden Eagle Award and the International Woman of the year. In 1981 she accepted a special job as a professor of American Studies at Wake Forest. Maya is intellegent and is very inspirational. She speaks French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Fanti.
All of her grandmother's hard work paid off because later on in her life she made big accomplishments. As you can see she wrote some books. In high school Maya won a scholarship in dance and drama to California Labor school. She became San Francisco's 1st African American female streetcar conductor. When she was sixteen she gave birth to a baby boy. His name was Guy Johnson. I thought that with her being raped she would be scared to put trust in another man so quickly but evidentally not.
At the age of twenty-two she got married to Tosh Angelou but the marriage did not last but a few years. To support herself and her son with out the father she had three jobs. She worked as a cook, night club singer and a waitress. I would do the same thing to support me and my kids. I can relate to this because I had my first child at sixteen and I had to work hard to get what he needed so I quick school for about seven months to make sure he had what he needed, because I know it's hard being a single mom. I know that it was probably harder back then with all the racism and stuff.
Later on after earning enough money to get on her feet Maya became a inspired book and poem wrighter. She moved to New York and joined the Harlem Writers Guild. In 1960 Guy moved to Egypt, where Maya was an editor for Arab Observer. Two years later they moved to Ghana, where she worked for three years as a writer and a administrator for the University of Ghana and as a editor for the African Review.
Maya has earned The Ladies Home Journal Woman of the year award, The Golden Eagle Award and the International Woman of the year. In 1981 she accepted a special job as a professor of American Studies at Wake Forest. Maya is intellegent and is very inspirational. She speaks French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Fanti.
British Novel Response #3
This was a really good book. After getting finished with the book I understand it more. The first beginning of the book was very hard to understand and it was confusing. The book was over all just her point of view about the world back then. "What you looking at me for? I didn't come to stay..." I didn't understand this peom at first but now I do. It relates to her being black. Back then African Americans had no power over a lot of things.
White people were like stars, black people had to respect whites back then. My favorite part of the book is when Maya's teeth were aching and grandma took her to the dentist in stamps that she said owed her a favor for letting him get money during the depression a while back. She took Maya to him and told him the she needed a dentist to look at her teeth. He said "I would rather stick my hands in a dog's mouth than stick my hands in a niggers."
After he said that she asked him one more time reminding him that he owes her money.
He said "I paid your money back already and thats a policy that I have to follow, I don't have nigger patients." When he closed the door in their faces she told Maya to back up and wait for her. She opened his door and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and told him she would kill him if her grandchild wasn't out side. She also demanded him to leave stamps and never come back, she also told him that he better start a new career other than being a dentist. He said "yes Ma'ma. I really liked that part. I guess she did not want he grandchildren to know her streghts.
White people were like stars, black people had to respect whites back then. My favorite part of the book is when Maya's teeth were aching and grandma took her to the dentist in stamps that she said owed her a favor for letting him get money during the depression a while back. She took Maya to him and told him the she needed a dentist to look at her teeth. He said "I would rather stick my hands in a dog's mouth than stick my hands in a niggers."
After he said that she asked him one more time reminding him that he owes her money.
He said "I paid your money back already and thats a policy that I have to follow, I don't have nigger patients." When he closed the door in their faces she told Maya to back up and wait for her. She opened his door and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and told him she would kill him if her grandchild wasn't out side. She also demanded him to leave stamps and never come back, she also told him that he better start a new career other than being a dentist. He said "yes Ma'ma. I really liked that part. I guess she did not want he grandchildren to know her streghts.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
British Novel Response #2
If I was Maya I would be very upset for what Mr.Freeman did, but since she is a little girl I guess she doesn’t know that this is a bad thing. I would have really been upset at Mr.Freeman if he would have told me he will kill my brother if I told what he did to me. I really think that Maya’s mother knew what type of guy that Mr.Freeman was because in their relationship he is controlling and he wanted everything to go his way that’s why they argued so much.
Bailey knew that something was wrong with Maya because she wasn’t herself when they finally found out that someone had molested her it was sad. I think that Maya should have told the truth when they asked her if it was the first time that Mr. Freeman so called “raped” her. That made the whole thing look fake. I would have stood up for what was right and told the truth. I do kind of understand why Maya said no because he threatened to kill her only friend and brother.
I really do think things would have worked a lot better if Maya told the truth about Mr.freeman molesting her because he probably would have still been alive. I honestly think that Maya's uncle's killed Mr.Freeman. I think that because they were said to be "thugs" and they knew that Maya had lied in court. I knew that after Maya lied something worse was goin to happen to Mr. Freeman because nothing good happens to someone who gets away with lying.
Bailey knew that something was wrong with Maya because she wasn’t herself when they finally found out that someone had molested her it was sad. I think that Maya should have told the truth when they asked her if it was the first time that Mr. Freeman so called “raped” her. That made the whole thing look fake. I would have stood up for what was right and told the truth. I do kind of understand why Maya said no because he threatened to kill her only friend and brother.
I really do think things would have worked a lot better if Maya told the truth about Mr.freeman molesting her because he probably would have still been alive. I honestly think that Maya's uncle's killed Mr.Freeman. I think that because they were said to be "thugs" and they knew that Maya had lied in court. I knew that after Maya lied something worse was goin to happen to Mr. Freeman because nothing good happens to someone who gets away with lying.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Mentor Log # 2
This the when I went the Ga. Cosmetology Institute I watch people do hair and every once in while I helped people that were inrolled in the school do the customers hair. It was fun, Ms. Joyce took me around and introduced me to everyone and showed me around. At this school they do hair cuts, personal waxes, nails, facials and everything else that relates to Cosmetology. The customers there are really nice to the people in school. Like for example today a woman came in and wanted someone to do her hair for a wedding, the woman worked on her hair for two hours but she messed up the end by cutting a piece of hair that was supposed to be laid down but the customer didn't get mad and still left a $5 tip after the student aplogized.
when I was in their today i stayed three hours. It was really busy phones were ringing off the hook and a lot of customers came in wanting hair cuts. I also helped some students with their quizes. Everyone their knows me by name now and I enjoy working with the customers and the conversations that we have while im there. I think that this is the perfect career for me because i've been doing hair since I was 13 and I have good people skills. I really think that this is the right career for me because I asked Ms. Joyce how long it takes to finish and she told me no more than a year. She also said that it is very easy to get inrolled and you come in on your own time.
She gave me a lot of inf. on how they become good if they are new to the envoirnment. She said at first they start off doing all the hairstyles that's in the book on the manicks. When they get 250 points they are then allowed to get their chair and start serving customers. They go in order of a availablity list, whoever is their take turns doing hair so that one person wont get left out and everyone gets at least 2 customers per day.
when I was in their today i stayed three hours. It was really busy phones were ringing off the hook and a lot of customers came in wanting hair cuts. I also helped some students with their quizes. Everyone their knows me by name now and I enjoy working with the customers and the conversations that we have while im there. I think that this is the perfect career for me because i've been doing hair since I was 13 and I have good people skills. I really think that this is the right career for me because I asked Ms. Joyce how long it takes to finish and she told me no more than a year. She also said that it is very easy to get inrolled and you come in on your own time.
She gave me a lot of inf. on how they become good if they are new to the envoirnment. She said at first they start off doing all the hairstyles that's in the book on the manicks. When they get 250 points they are then allowed to get their chair and start serving customers. They go in order of a availablity list, whoever is their take turns doing hair so that one person wont get left out and everyone gets at least 2 customers per day.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Mentor Log
I went to The Ga Institute of Cosmetology school to work on my product. This day I didnt really do hair I just answered phones, greet customers and watch people do hair. It was exacally what I expected to see. The girls and man that was in their was praciting doing hair styles on manicks. I really injoyed watching other people be creative and come up with new never seen hair styles. They really inspired me to want to do hair more. One female that goes to school their told me that this is her 6th month and she's already about to get her lisences in the next month.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
British Novel Responses #1
I like this book a lot. It remindes me of my mother and her childhood life from what she always told me. The first beginning of this book reminds me of my mother because she grew up in "the old days", things we a lot different from the way they are now. Even when I was little we went to church every sunday and sat in the front row. We were demanded to say ma'ma and yes ma'ma. It also reminds me of the way my mother grew up because she sold lemonade on the side of her grandmothers house to make extra money in the summertime. My favorite character is Bailey because he reminds me of my brother.
He is always in a good mood and he will do anything to cheer people up. I think that it is something strange the way that their parents just want to pop up in their lives now after so many years. I dont think that Bailey and Maya will not be comfortable at their new house with their parents. I think they were doing just fine at their grandma's house. It is very nasty and strange that Mr. Freeman (her mothers boyfriend) is touching on Maya in a negative way and having sexual relations with her , it is even stranger that Maya liked it.
I knew something bad was going to happen when Bailey and Maya went to Califorinia because it all didn't add up right. At the first beginning of the story their real parents were made to be dead. "You think your momma and poppa went to all the trouble to send you these nice play pretties to make you go out in the cold and cry?" After they got christmas gifts from their parents I knew that the parents would come to visit them but I didn't think that the father would come to get them and take them to their mothers house to stay.
He is always in a good mood and he will do anything to cheer people up. I think that it is something strange the way that their parents just want to pop up in their lives now after so many years. I dont think that Bailey and Maya will not be comfortable at their new house with their parents. I think they were doing just fine at their grandma's house. It is very nasty and strange that Mr. Freeman (her mothers boyfriend) is touching on Maya in a negative way and having sexual relations with her , it is even stranger that Maya liked it.
I knew something bad was going to happen when Bailey and Maya went to Califorinia because it all didn't add up right. At the first beginning of the story their real parents were made to be dead. "You think your momma and poppa went to all the trouble to send you these nice play pretties to make you go out in the cold and cry?" After they got christmas gifts from their parents I knew that the parents would come to visit them but I didn't think that the father would come to get them and take them to their mothers house to stay.
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