I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Author: Maya Angelou | Language: English | ISBN:
B0026LTNFO | Format: PDF
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Description
Superbly told, with the poet's gift for language and observation, Angelou's autobiography of her childhood in Arkansas - a world of which most Americans are ignorant.
From the Hardcover edition.- File Size: 1109 KB
- Print Length: 305 pages
- Page Numbers Source ISBN: B009I6R3AC
- Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks (April 21, 2009)
- Sold by: Random House LLC
- Language: English
- ASIN: B0026LTNFO
- Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
X-Ray:
- Lending: Not Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,087 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #5
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Criticism & Theory - #6
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National - #11
in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > African-American & Black
- #5
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Criticism & Theory - #6
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National - #11
in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > African-American & Black
May I tell you why I choose to have my ninth grade students read it? I have noticed a lot of reviews by young people, which I applaud, but an adult perspective might be helpful.
I don't particularly feel the need to defend its merits. (I am not articulate enough to do justice to that task.) As with any book, some will love it and some won't. Guaranteed, it will make you uncomfortable at times, because one chapter describes the rape of a young person--which is painful for any compassionate human being to hear. Plus, there are other sexual issues, largely stemming from the earlier assault, but also because she is a teenager in the last phase of the book. Such questions about love and sex are characteristic of the teenage years. Many young people, as well as adults, are confused about such topics. While these are generally the most controversial segments from the book, the fundamental lesson of the book goes far beyond the survival of one victim. I won't supply you with the answers as to what one should take away from the text. It is a personal experience for each of us.
We can all learn from Maya's honest account of her childhood journey. We can all try on her experiences and live vicariously through her for a while, and see how it changes our own perspective on what it means to be a human being.
I'll be the first to admit, this book is a challenge for all my students in one way or another. Some because they are white and live in the northern US. Some because they are male and it's difficult to view life through a woman's eyes. Some because of the adult vocabulary and extensive use of figurative language. Some of these experiences are so remote from their own, while others are very close to home.
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