The Manic Bookadillos discussion

Hey Bookadillos! I hope you’ve all been diving into I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The first section painted quite a picture for me about what Maya Angelou’s life was like. I found it important to read her perspective “In Stamps the segregation was so complete that most Black children didn’t really, absolutely know what whites looked like. Other than that they were different, to be dreaded, and in that dread was included the hostility of the powerless against the powerful, the poor against the rich, the worker against the worked for and the ragged against the well dressed.” This segregation created a barrier of privilege for white people, and to the point that Maya only dreaded their existence. Later she says at the end of Chapter 4, “people were those who lived on my side of town...these others, the strange pale creatures that lived in their alien un-life, weren’t considered folks. They were whitefolks.” To be segregated like this town was illustrates the divide and privilege where separate was so clearly not equal. It’s important to understand this in order to understand her fear and trepidation of white people.

Trigger ⚠️ Warning: referencing around sexual abuse, molestation

Later, when the incidents with Mr. Freeman occur, Maya puts so much blame on herself, and her confusion about him threatening to kill Bailey is so manipulative and twisted for her. So she focuses on that, trying to figure out how it is related. “It was the same old quandary. I had always lived it. There was an army of adults, whose motives and movements I just couldn’t understand and who made no effort to understand mine.” My heart broke for her here. How harmful of Freeman to take this from her, and even so for her to so not understand what is happening, that it just feels like how adults and children’s disconnect is so massive. Her innocence in this part of the book is so prominent as it’s being taken away. I struggled to address this part, but I feel it’s so important because these incidents that happen are so tragic and abstract for children, and that’s on the fault of adults for so many reasons. Teaching autonomy and boundaries for children is so important, and I think this spot in the book illustrates this. I’m sorry if this was tough on anyone, and I support her for sharing her story.

What parts of the first section stuck out to you? Are there any quotes by Maya that stuck with you? Any parts you felt were key to Maya’s childhood that you want to discuss?

Hi All. Here were some of my thoughts on this section. Uncle Willie's persistence in trying to cover up what was wrong with him rang true to me. Physical (or mental) disabilities should be nothing to hide yet people still are so afraid to let others see their true selves. It was heartbreaking to read how they had to cover him up with the onions and potatoes.

I also struggled to get through the part with Mr. Freeman. I can't imagine feeling like if she said something about this man that hurt her that Bailey would be killed.