monthly review: i know why the cage bird sings

Find out about the author. How did they end up writing this particular book? Is the author's true life reflected in the book in any way(s)?
If you've read other books by this same author, how does this one compare? (You don't need to decide which one is better, although you can.)
　
The novel, I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings, is about experiences in Maya Angelou’s own life that made her the person she is now. Maya Angelou grows up in Stamps, Arkansas, a town that is racist and was raised by her grandmother. She was a very intelligent girl who read a lot of book’s as a child. Maya tries hard to figure out about the adult world, and why people treat blacks so poorly. Her grandmother was very strict and religious. One experience and possible one that could have changed her life the most is when her father picks up Maya and her brother, bailey, to live with her mother in St. Louis. While she is there her mothers boyfriend, Mr. Freeman rapes Maya. Later on her mother finds out about it and mysteriously Mr. freeman dies. Maya thinks that it is her fault that Mr. freeman dies and becomes depressed. Maya and Bailey are sent back to Stamps, and that is when she meets Mrs. Flowers, who teaches her about writing. Writing started to be an escape for her later in her life because she was show the power of language and writing. The rest of the book she talks about more incidents both good and bad about her life.
　
Maya Angelou, is a racial right’s activist. She believes in equality, and in this book she writes about many different experiences that her and her family go through due to her being African American. I think the reason Maya wrote this book is because, her story is very inspiring. Since she is against racism this book is to help stop racism by showing what people went through, and how hard it was to be African American. Maya also mentions and refers back to her religious beliefs. Religion is one way Maya was able to keep her dignity through out these experiences. At sixteen Maya was faced with a new challenge, she had a child. This adds to the themes of this book. The themes to me are, self-discovery, motherhood, and family. The main reason of this book is to give hope to people, which sounds like something Maya would want her work to do for people. The book reflects her life in everyway. Her child hood and life is open to the public; having multiple books about her life. For Maya to write about her life in so much detail can be emotional, she writes in detail about when she was raped as a young child. That for some people is a very deep secret and hard to talk about. Her writing about this though, is like a message saying that it is okay to talk about these problems and that you cannot have it take over your life. I think that, that is a great message to send people because it can change your life for the better. In this quote said by Mrs. Flowers, she explains to Maya about how important language and writing is. "language is man's way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language alone that separates him from the lower animals." (pg. 95) This quote show why Maya might have wrote this book. Because of Mrs. Flowers empowering Maya to express emotions through her writing, she found a way to tell the world about these problems and that it is alright to actually tell people, so that you can help people so that they know that they are not the only ones going through all these problems. I think with out Mrs. Flowers teaching Maya about writing she might not have been a writer, but I don’t know her whole story. Maya did read a lot as a child so that could have been an influence to be a writer.

I have also read a letter to my daughter in 8th grade for my English class. That book is like a bunch of short scripts and poems put together. Maya in this book’s style is different then I know why the cage bird sings. Her style is very warming and loving. Its like she your mother, which is kind of the point of the title. Even though it is aimed towards women in a way, it is still a good book to read. It makes you feel like the book it’s self loves you, I don’t really know how to explain the feeling but it effects you like no other book has. If I had to choose one or the other I would have to say to read a letter to my daughter only because of the thoughts it leaves you with. But I’m not saying that I know why the cage bird sings is bad, I think if you had the time you should read both because it gives more of the full effect of her writing. In I know why the cage bird sings, Maya makes the book seem more like a memoir in a disguised as a story and letter to my daughter more like shared experiences. Both I feel like give the message of hope but a letter to my daughter give a bunch of messages all to feel an uplifting feeling. To be able to write an entire book and give the feeling that it gives you is incredible. I will say that she is one of my top authors, she has gone through so much and has so much to write about and does it in a way that effects you mentally unlike any other book. I most likely will not read anymore of her book, because they do not really catch my attention but I do think they are good books, it is just I prefer to read informational types of readings. Ill most likely end up reading another Maya Angelou book though.

favorite bands

My top five favorite band are: Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, The Wombats, The Kooks, and The Shins. I listen to a lot of Alternative Indie music, to be more specific new Brit alternative rock music. I really like the sound of the slight British accents mixed with an American style. All the lead singer in the bands that I listed except The Shins lead singer, James Mercer, all have a slight accent.

My fifth favorite band, The Shins, consists of lead singer/guitarist James Mercer, guitarists Dave Hernandez and Eric Johnson, drummer Joe Plummer, and bassist Ron Lewis. They are from New Mexico in 1997. There music is said to be influenced by Modest Mouse, another one of my favorite bands. The Shins have 3 recorded albums, Oh, Inverted World, Chutes Too Narrow, and Wincing the Night Away. My favorite songs from The Shins are: New slang, Sleep Lessons, Know Your Onion!, Australia, and much more. The Shins were nominated in 2008 for a Grammy Award for Best alternative music album. They have four labels, one including Cargo Records.

My Fourth favorite band The Kooks originated in Brighton, England. This band had more of an acoustic sound then the other bands that I talk about but also can be upbeat too. There music has a catchy rhythm to it, and Luke Pritchard, the lead singer’s voice is very distinct because of his strong accent. I think the reason I like the kooks is because it have a sort of arctic monkeys sound to it. The kooks signed there first record only three months after they started as a band. They have a label with Virgin Records and have two albums, inside in/inside out and Konk and working on there third album currently.

The Wombats are my third favorite band and originated in Liverpool, England. They released 2 albums that were only available in Japan. I’m not really sure all the band members names but I know that Matthew Murphy and Dan Haggis and two members of the Wombats. The wombats have one song called Lets dance to joy division which was released in 2007. The wombats met in a performing arts school in England in 2003. They have 2 record labels that I know of, one is 14th floor records and Roadrunner records. I have not heard one song of the wombats that I haven’t liked, bu ti haven’t heard all there songs.

Number two on my favorite bands list in Vampire weekend. They are an American Indie rock band from New York, New York. They got there name from a movie I think, but I’m not sure. There music style is like no other. I wish I could explain how they sound but it’s easier to just listen to there music. There best songs to me are: I stand corrected, taxi cab, cousins, and campus. My mom actually likes cousins, which is kind of weird. Vampire weekend only has two albums out, Contra and Vampire weekend.

My number one favorite band is the Arctic Monkeys. I have been obsessed with them ever since I found out about them. They have four members of the band, Alex turner, Nick O’Malley, Jamie Cook, and Matt Helders. There style cover everything that I like and some. They have a Ska background and an Indie rhythm. They are from Sheffield, England and formed in 2002. There isn’t one song that I have not heard from them off a recorded album, and know almost every word to every song. There most popular songs include Mardy bum, when the sun goes down, a certain romance, and Florescent adolescent, but if you listen to any other song it would be just as good. In just about every one of there songs they just jam really hard, even though there guitar parts are “easy” they some up with classic melodies. They were voted number one band that you should see live. I have not seen them live but with out a doubt will see them in the future. I wish I could right more about the arctic monkeys but im getting tired and about to go to bed.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite bands and I hope this helped you find some new music to listen to.

LOVE

The rules for being a girlfriend or boyfriend to me would actually depend on you. Some guys hate it when the girl he likes just even talk to another guy and some guys can careless what she does. This can aply to both boys and girls by the way. But the main rule that im trying to say is that you should not cheat on your partner. I think that cheating is the worst thing you can do to another.

When going on dates the guy should be polite, for example he should pay for the date, he should open the door for her and ect. If someone were to break one of theses “unwriten” rules, the consiquence would most likely be a break up but for sure a fight. In a way it just depends on what you did or what rule your broke. You really should not lie to your girlfriend or boyfriend, it just makes things worst. One thing that really isnt a bad thing or a big deal but you shouldn’t say things that you don’t mean. Like for example if your girlfriend says they love you, you shouldn’t say I love you back unless you really do love them back.

I personally think that the guy should ask the girl out but again that’s just my opinion. It really shouldn’t matter who makes the first move because sometimes you can get really nervous and not be sure if the person likes you back. The last girl I liked she made the first move and everythings like that which was perfect lol, but it was kind of unfair. I think these rules were agreed upon by everybody. But I think these rules are different for everybody because everybody is different and have different oppionions. I think the way you act around the people you like might changed because you don’t want the person thinking bad about you wrong about you.