WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT: Maya’s Diary entry

"I know why the caged bird sings" is an American literary work written by Maya
Angelou in 1969, where she narrates and describes how discrimination can be a way
of survival in the face of an unjust society. Maya and her brother, Bailey, were sent by
their mother to live with their grandmother Momma in a small southern town called
"San Francisco," where both experience maternal remoteness and social abuse.

In this diary entry Maya will reflect about the distance that she maintains with his
mother, thus helping her in her maturation process, such sentimental and emotional. It
is therefore, the objective of this task is to show how the estrangement of his mother
played a very important role in the development of the feelings and thoughts of Maya.
Since these will allow me to fully identify with the main character.

The text type that I will use is a diary entry. Because of, it is more appropriate to reveal
the feelings that Maya had when she was away from her mother, which influenced her
emotional development. In addition, Maya is the main character of the book; what will
help us to better understand the objective to study.

Finally, the language used for this journal entry will be informal. Notwithstanding, a
friendly tone will be maintained, avoiding slangs or scurrility, as it will allow me to enter
the book and connect with Maya, trying to decipher her emotions, feelings and
reflections.

Word count: 241

 Diary Entry

Wednesday 04/04/1984
Dear Diary,
I miss my mom! I have never felt this way. For a moment I thought that this feeling
has already left that in the past and that, for nothing in the world, I would remember
her. I still remember that beautiful afternoon, when my grandmother showed me
photos that my father had sent me, while she told me some anecdotes that happened
in my first year, always beginning in the same way: "According to your father ...". I
really do not know what I would do without her, since my mother sent us to live with
her, everything has changed.

The balloons, the cake, my mom, all happy, watching them smile for the first and only
time. Today I am 16 years old and they do not know how I would like to celebrate with
them. Since my mother sent us to live with my father's mother, everything has taken a
different path. I do not complain about my grandmother, but I think we all need
motherly love. It all started today in the morning, when they did not say anything to
me, I thought they had forgotten my birthday or they did not know when it was. After a
while, and some small steps that come out of the dining room. I don't doubt to look,
but when I got there I saw Mama and Bailey approaching me. I ran to my bed and
tried to sleep, I felt how they approached, I walked gently to avoid getting up. When
they were already at the foot of my bed, I heard Bailey say in silence: 1, 2 and 3 ...
when he played the sound to heaven saying: Happy birthday. This was undoubtedly
the best surprise maybe I could not be with my mother, but with my grandfather and
my brother was enough. I am also 16 years old and I have matured enough.

In the afternoon, my grandmother had everything ready, the food, the drinks and the
guests, who were friends of mom. I did not get a birthday present, just Bailey's. A half
misspelled letter, with a badly drawn heart, put it in the center, with a slogan that said:
I love you very much, sister. I did not want to cry, because it would be weird to cry on
my birthday, but I thanked him for the charming little gesture he had with me.
Sometimes I think Bailey sees me as a mom, even though I'm younger than him, my
maturity and way of acting say the opposite.

I think that when Mom sent us to live with grandmother was the strongest decision
we had to face, especially me, since I was the oldest. I knew that now I was not
alone, that there was also my brother whom I had to protect and care for, sometimes I
think that distance with mom helped me to mature quickly, they always say that
women mature quickly, but at 16 years old I think the same as Momma. I do not really
know if Bailey would have matured, one day he says he is already a big boy and after
a while he is playing with his carts, but what I do know is that there is no other person
with love as sincere as Bailey's is towards me, sometimes I call it my guardian angel,
because it is always there when I need it.

I think it's a lot for today, tomorrow I have to get up early to deliver breakfast to
Momma's workers and I keep writing, I'll stay asleep, it'll be until tomorrow.

Good night

Word count: 598

Bibliography

Angelou, M. (2007) I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS. London: Virago