I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Stories like these, of such hardships, make me realize how blessed I am and how easy I have it. Reading about Maya's childhood and how she was raped at the age of eight makes me so appreciative of my childhood. It makes me realize how much I have been blessed with and how little I have struggled with in comparison. I have grown up with two parents and have had a very stable family life unlike Maya. One of Maya's first memories is being shipped to her grandmother at the age of three. She doesn't feel like she has a place to call home and is always thinking, "I didn't come to stay (1)." She never had an easy life but Momma tries to raise her to be a strong, smart, religious woman. It is after she is raped and testifies at trial when she loses her voice. She lies and therefore believes she is responsible for Mr. Freeman's death. She believed the only thing she could do to protect others was to stop talking. However, she meets Mrs. Flowers would takes personal interest in Maya's silence and helps her regain her voice. Maya says, "It is safe to say that she made me feel proud to be Negro, just by being myself (95)."