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Samantha Marie S. Favis

Christopher Rasmussen
Humanities 105-2280
11 December 2013
The Unnecessary Insult
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a book from 1969 about a young African American
girl struggling to become an independent woman. The story of the book fits right in with the
goals of the Civil Rights and Feminist movements. In the autobiography of Maya Angelou, she
explains, If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement
is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult. Angelou describes
the feelings of a child who grew up in racism, segregation, and discrimination on top of the
isolation from parents. She reveals that her displacement from her family and in the society is
the unnecessary insult that she must face at such a young age. The themes of racism and
segregation are strongly woven with the struggles she had faced while growing up. Angelou
shows discrimination in a way which led her to doubt her own race, but with the help of a few
family members and peers, she was able to conquer the devastating adversities given to her by
fate.
Angelou starts her book with the dreams of a young girl, wishing she could be a moviestar-looking white girl in a world dominated by the white majority. She exclaims, "Because I was
really white and because a cruel fairy godmother, who was understandably jealous of my beauty
had turned me into a too-big Negro girl, with nappy black hair, broad feet and a space between
her teeth that would hold a number two pencil." Instead of accepting her race and color, she
would rather be something she is not because being white means having power and wealth that
African-Americans during their time did not have. Maya admires the possessions of white
people, including their clothes, cars, and houses, yet she knows from a young age that the white
people bear responsibility for the despair of the plantation workers of the South. The oppression

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in the South degrades the African-Americans, which causes Maya to reject her own race and to
wish that she can have the beauty that can be recognized by the public.
The treatment she received from her acquaintances added to Mayas resentment towards
her appearance and her race. When she landed a job at Mrs. Viola Cullinans home at the age of
ten, Mrs. Cullinan suggested calling Maya Mary usually a Caucasian name because
Margaret is too long. Maya angrily reminded her that her name is Marguerite, not Margaret.
Another incident is when a white dentist Dr. Lincoln says he would rather stick his hand in a
dogs mouth than treat Mayas painful toothache. The most life-changing event that happened in
Mayas life was her molestation by her mothers own boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. She tried to find
comfort from him because she felt isolated from her uncaring parents, but what she
undeservingly received in the end was rape. Her fear of rejection from her family overwhelmed
her to the point of denying the maliciousness of Mr. Freeman. Maya felt uncontrollably guilty for
lying and believed that she had sold herself to the devil. These events had made her weakminded at a young age but she was strong enough to keep facing her daily life as an African
American. Even though she went through these situations, she never gave up in going out into
the world and never feared the dangers it could bring to her.
Without the help of some people, moving on with a courageous heart might have been
hard for Maya. Annie Henderson, also known as Momma, raises Maya and her older brother for
most of their childhood. Momma raises them with strict Christian morals and cares more about
the childrens well-being than her own needs. She chooses her words, emotions, and battles
carefully while standing up for herself but believing that white people cannot be talked upon
without putting ones life on the line. Bailey Johnson Jr. is Mayas brother, who is charming and
outgoing. He defends Maya against criticism and insults from the bullies who do not appreciate
Mayas appearance. Bailey and Maya went through their tragedies together. With their private
jokes and their love of language and poetry, they were both able to find comfort from each other

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in a racist environment. Mrs. Bertha Flowers is beautiful, refined, and poised woman, who
decided to take Maya in to free her from her silence after the case with Mr. Freeman. Mrs.
Flowers gave Maya some books to take home, read, and memorize a few poems. After a while,
she was able to regain her voice back by reading the books she was given. A group of black,
Mexican, and white homeless teenagers are also significantly important in Mayas story. When
she left home once when she was a teenager, she had nowhere to go except in a car at a junkyard.
During the month she was there, this diverse group taught Maya how to appreciate diversity and
tolerance because they shared the profits they earned from different jobs without racism or
segregation from each other. The life Maya had was tremendously difficult, but with the help of
these people she was able to stand back on her own two feet and overcome the obstacles she had
to face.
Maya Angelou poses as a great example to everyone in which she shows that no matter
what life throws at anyone, one should accept the problem and face it head on. One may
encounter hardships but with the help of those important to them or those who care for them,
these struggles will easily be resolved. Discrimination and racism are still being faced today
which leads many people to doubt themselves, but learning how to resist it is the best way to
handle the situation. Resisting the urge to break down from discrimination gives a person
strength to go on with their lives. No one can stop anyone from being who they want to be as a
person. Show those who look down on other races that there is no human in this world that
cannot be beautiful because of their race.