I Know Where the Caged Bird Sings

  Word Count: 330 words 

  Maya was originally faced with a hardship once being handed off from her parents to her grandmother, "Momma." I cannot imagine the feeling of knowing the people who are supposed to love you more than anyone else decided they wanted nothing to do with you. Right off the bat she is missing a key component of being a child, living and loving your parents. It was great that her grandmother was able to be there for her as my grandmother was also a huge part of my childhood, along with my parents! It is another perspective and another kind of love that I believe helped shape her into who she ended up being.It also made me really upset hearing and knowing that Maya measured herself against the white girls and compared herself constantly. Then, after enduring already a tough childhood, Maya is sexually assaulted by her mother's boyfriend. There is much more to the story but this horrible childhood and strength she had to pull herself out of the pits and rise to be a face of the community is amazing. She defied all racism by pushing through it and trying to not acknowledge it as part of her future. She shows strength repeatedly as she also hides her pregnancy but is confident in her ability as a mother. She grows into a well rounded and powerful woman who should teach us girls that we are much more than what happens to us/what we endure. We are what is within and who we are as people that truly matters. The quote, "The caged bird sings with a fearful trill, of things unknown, but longed for still, and his tune is heard on the distant hill, for the caged bird sings for freedom." This quote shows me that the caged bird is Maya. She sings for freedom by standing true to herself although she is fearful- to rise above the hate and prove she is worthy of a great life.