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About I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
I

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is the first of five volumes of Maya Angelou's autobiography, which cover the years from the early 1930's, up until about 1970. Out of the five, it is probably the most popular and critically acclaimed volume, dealing with Angelou's childhood, up to her coming-of-age at sixteen.

1. What was on Marguerite’s legs on Easter?

Marguerite put Blue Seal Vaseline on her legs and they were powered withArkansasred clay.

2. What was the formal name of Momma’s store?

The formal name of Momma's store was "Wm. Johnson General Merchandise Store".

3. Why were Marguerite and her brother living with their grandmother and uncle?

Marguerite and her brother were living with their grandmother and uncle because their parents had split up. There were sent fromCalifornia toArkansas to live with their grandmother and uncle.

4. How did Uncle Willie become crippled?

Uncle Willie became crippled when a woman who was minding him at the age of three, dropped him.

5. Who was Marguerite's first white love?

Marguerite's first white love was William Shakespeare.

6. What were the two commandments of Grandmother Henderson which hung on the children's total salvation?

The two commandments which hung on the children's total salvation were "Thou Shall Not Be Dirty" and "Thou Shall Not Be Impudent".

7. What was Momma doing while the poor white children taunted her?

Momma sang hymns while the poor white children taunted her.

8. What happened to Reverend Thomas when Sister Monroe hit him on the back of the head with her purse at church?

Reverend Thomas's false teeth jumped out of his mouth onto the floor, right at Margurite's feet.

9. What "art" had Marguerite developed during church?

Marguerite had developed the art of turning off or tuning out people during church.

10.What did the preacher ask Momma to do every Sunday? What was Momma's reaction to his question?

The preacher asked Momma to sing every Sunday. Momma responded as if she were surprised to be asked even though he asked her each week.

11.What was the last stop before "Whitefolksville"?

The last stop before "Whitefolksville" was "Mr. Willie Williams's Do Drop Inn".

12.What did the sheriff tell Momma to have Uncle Willie do and why?

The sheriff told Momma to have Uncle Willie lay low that night because a “crazy nigger messed with a white lady and the boys'll be coming over later”.

13.Where did Uncle Willie hide after the sheriff said to lay low?

Momma, Marguerite and Bailey took the potatoes and onions out of their bins and knocked out the dividing walls that kept them apart. Uncle Willie hid in the bin and they covered him with the potatoes and onions.

14.What did Marguerite rake in the dirt after the poor white children stopped taunting Momma and left and why?

Marguerite raked a heart in the dirt to show Momma she loved her and respected her.

15.Why did Marguerite think Uncle Willie was vain?

Marguerite thought Uncle Wille was vain because he only wore store bought clothes. He wore twenty dollar shoes, fresh white shirts and flowered suspenders. Marguerite had to iron seven stiff starched shirts and not leave a cat's face anywhere.

16.What incident became one of Stamp's little legends? What did the incident prove about Momma?

A man was hunted down for assaulting white womanhood. Momma and Uncle Willie hid the man in the Store. They gave him supplies for his escape. However, he was apprehended, and when asked about his movements he told them he took refuge at the Store. Mrs. Henderson (Momma) was subpoenaed. When Momma arrived and said she was Mrs. Henderson, the judge, baliff and other whites laughed. They did not expect a colored woman to own a store. Also, they did not call the Negro women Mrs. and she was the only Negro woman to be called Mrs. The incident proved the worth and majesty of Momma.

17.What struck Marguerite and Baily when they enrolled inToussaint L'OuvertureGrammar School?

Margeurite and Bailey were struck by the ignorance of their schoolmates and the rudeness of their teachers.

18.Why didn't Marguerite believe that the sun shone all the time inCaliforniaand everyone had all the oranges they could eat?

Her mother lived there and she couldn't imagine her mother would lay in the sun eating oranges without her children.


 * 1) Why were Bailey and Marguerite upset with the Christmas gifts their parents sent them fromCalifornia?

It brought up questions such as; “Why did they send us away?”, “What did we do wrong” and “Why, at three and four, did we have tags put on our arms to be sent by train alone from California and sent to Arkansas, with only a porter to look after us?

20. What did Marguerite and Bailey’s father sprinkle his sentences with when he spoke?

He sprinkled his sentences with ers and errers when he spoke.

Marguerite and Bailey’s father came to take them back toCalifornia.
 * 1) What was the purpose of the father’s visit to Stamps?

21. How did Marguerite and Bailey try to hide their conversation from their father on the way back to California? What was their father's response?

They tried speaking Pig Latin. Their father responded by speaking Pig Latin too.

22. How was Mother described by Marguerite?

She was a hurricane in its perfect power and climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.

23. What was Bailey's reaction when he first saw Mother?

He fell instantly in love. He had now forgotten the lonely nights when the children cried together because they were unwanted children.

24. Why did Marguerite feel guilty at the trial of Mr. Freeman?

She lied about how many times Mr. Freeman had molested her. He had molested her twice and she said it was only once.

25. What was Mr. Freeman's sentence? How long did he serve?

Mr. Freeman's sentence was one year and one day. He was released the same day as the trial. 26. What happened to Mr. Freeman after his release from jail? Mr. Freeman was found dead the same day as his release. He was found dead on a lot behind the slaughterhouse. He had been kicked to death.

27. Who helped to bring Marguerite out of her depression after the molestation? How? Mrs. Flowers was extremely well spoken and cultured. She showed Marguerite what it was to be sophisticated. She introduced her to a world of literature.

28. Why did Momma get upset when Marguerite said to Bailey "By the way, Bailey, Mrs. Flowers sent me some"? Momma was upset when Marguerite said to Bailey "By the way, Bailey, Mrs. Flowers sent me some" because Momma said that "Jesus was the Way, the Truth and the Light," and who says "by the way" was really saying, "by Jesus", or "by God," and the Lord's name would not be taken in vain in her house.

29. What was the difference between the White debutante and the Negro debutantes? The White debutantes learned to waltz and sit gracefully with a tea cup balanced on their knees. The Negro debutantes were expected to embroider colored dish towels, pillowcases, runners and handkerchiefs.

30. How does the author describe the importance of Joe Louis winning the Heavy Weight Champion of the World boxing match?

The author explains that if Joe Louis lost the boxing match it would be as if they were all slaves again.

31. How does Marguerite feel about Henry Reed the class valedictorian?

Marguerite admired Henry Reed because for years they both vied for the best grades. Most of the time he bested her, but instead of being disappointed she was pleased to share top place with Henry. He also lived with his grandmother. He was courteous and respectful to his elders and chose to play the roughest game on the playground. Marguerite admired him because he was able to operate at the top level with both adults and children.

32. Why did Momma all of a sudden decide it was time for Marguerite and Bailey to move to California with their parents?

Bailey came home one day saying how he saw a colored man who was dead and rotten. He was fished out of a pond by a few men and wrapped in a sheet. Momma feels if Bailey stays in the South the same may eventually happen to him.

During WWII in San Francisco how does the author describe the way the newcomer Negros feels about the dislodged Japanese?

They had undergone concentration-camp living for centuries in slavery’s plantations and later in sharecropper’s cabins. They did not feel a commonality