The novel I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou should be a “must read” book because it makes
the reader a ‘better reader’ by showing the importance of books, challenges
their beliefs about racism, and gives them a life lesson about overcoming a
lifetime of discrimination.
Angleou shows the importance for reading when Maya discovers that books
can take her out of the grim world around her and place her in a new world of
her own. Maya is now with her mother, Vivian, in St. Louis and is still not
feeling at home. She feels out of place but she is starting to get into reading
more. Maya discovers her love for reading and displays it when she says, “As
quickly as I understood that I had not reached my home, I sneaked away to Robin
Hood's forest and the caves of Alley Oop where all reality was unreal and even
that changed every day” (Angelou 101). When Maya “sneaked away to Robin
Hood’s forest”, it was away for her to escape from her own world and do into
another one. When she “understood that she had not reached my home”, and
was never going to find a real physical home. So she turned to her love for
literature as a safe place. This place gave her an opportunity to leave all the
issues that is happening around her. When Maya discovered this new world
she “sneaked away” too, she found the importance of reading. Books allowed her
to leave behind everything that was occurring around her and find a world that
“all reality was unreal.” This discovery shows readers that a book can be the
hope that is in life. So when it is a bad day, a book can change that by
putting a reader in the realistic world that they can connect too. The
world “that changed everyday” and was another
actual reality for a person to flee from true life to a new life, that will
make give them a chance to not think
about the harshness of reality.
From reading this post, I agree that this book should be a must-read. Any book that offers insight into the importance of literature is offering a message that must be heard. People that maybe think books are a waste of time could benefit from this book. It sounds as if this book helps explain why books are read and what one can do with them to "sneak away" from the real world. This post also makes me interested in reading this book because the thesis having to do with racism and reading interests me. The allusions to Robin Hood and Alley Oop makes me interested in this book.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree this should be a must read to challenge or ban this book in any way is the most ignorant thing any one could do. Maya Angelou is not only one of the greatest American poets of our modern day she is also an important civil rights activist. I am happy someone chose to read this. This book is not only a beautiful book of poetry it illustrates the tough reality of racism in our society. People need to stop banning books about racism because that is an issue we need to tackle and the only way to tackle an issue is to expose it. More people should read books like this and less hunger games this is the type of book that matters and should be preserved read and studied. I thank you Marry for not only reading this book but also writing a good paper about it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this post and I have not read I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings, but now I want to. Books, novels, or any form of literature are paramount to our daily lives, thoughts, and morals and you did a great job of showing this while connecting everything back to your thesis! The novel sounds very intriguing and capturing with powerful messages. It also seems like a great novel for high schoolers to read because it expresses the importance of reading, but additionally the ideas of racism and discrimination.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings should be considered a must read book. From reading the post, I would actually like to read the book because it is explained above how literature allowed the character a chance to not think about the harshness of reality which I have lacked when it comes to reading. I would also be interested in reading about how racism and discrimination play a role in the characters life. Sounds like an informative must-read book!
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