How Maya Angelou gives personal account of her life and how she dealt with abandonment and loneliness, discrimination, and rape in I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.

Elena SmuklerEnglish 9H1 May, 2001 I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings In the early-19th century African-American were forced to deal with the Depression, poverty, and primarily discrimination; many had to endure tremendous hardships throughout their lives and constantly hoped to survive the pains of discrimination. In spite of the many tragedies that befell unto them caused by such prejudices, black men and women learned to display a strong sense of self-worth and pride. Maya …

…being that her stories are factual; I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings tells readers the reality of her pains and how she felt without excluding any events that may have been too personal. Readers could relate to many of Maya's tales of growing up as a black, unfortunate woman in the South, and so she became a popular and successful author primarily because of the courage and pride she had in telling her story.