Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Compare and contrast Maya's process of awareness in two key moments in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."

Two
important but very different points that show Maya (then Marguerite) gaining self-awareness
relate to her ideas about power, autonomy, and independence.

The first event
and associated ideas have to do with young Marguerite's initial understanding of power. While
she came to see what had been taken from her through sexual abuse and rape, she also understood
that she had a role in Freeman's death. Despite the superstitious aspect of this analysis, it
brought awareness of the power of words in general and of her voice specifically: she stopped
speaking.

A later episode relates to Maya's movement away from her mother.
This builds on her growing distance from her brother as he moves away from the family. After
Bailey leaves, Maya realizes how much independence she also requires. Getting a job and
balancing work and school help her see the dimensions of the larger world. She describes the
difference between of her ignorance of ignorance and how that changed to "being aware of
being aware."

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