Maya Angelou Q&A

1.) We talked about the title of Maya Angelou's first autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.  What did Angelou say is the reason a caged bird sings?  What does that mean?  Do you agree with or understand that idea?

Angelou said that the caged bird sings for freedom.  I think this could mean a lot of different things but this time I am going to try and go with a less cliche version.  I think that she means when something or someone is holding you back you complain and whine but that doesn't get you anywhere, and that you have to actually try to knock the barriers down.  It could also mean that the bird has hope and is singing with happiness that one day her dreams will become true. Maybe the bird is just daydreaming of flying with the flock one day.  I guess I don't really understand the idea because I have so many thoughts on what the significance of it all could be. I do think you should stand up for yourself and that you should really try hard to knock down any barriers that get in your way to reach whatever goal you are trying to achieve. 

3.) Angelou says she doesn't even like to talk about her bad dreams because talking about them "gives them too much power."  Do you think talking about bad dreams or bad news or other bad things (or feeding into the "drama" at school or in life) gives those bad things more power?  When have you known this to happen?

I think that talking about bad dreams or other bad things is okay and that you shouldn't bottle every bad thing up inside. I used to do that but then I met my best friend and she helps me get through bad things or helps me laugh about bad dreams later.  I think that some bad things are just too strong to keep inside and that it feels better to just tell someone. In my opinion not talking about them is the most power you can give them because when you bottle them up you have no support system to help you and no one knows whats going on. 


5.)  After going through a major trauma at age seven, Angelou didn't talk for almost five years.  Could you live this way?  Do you talk too much or too little?  What could you learn if you listened more and spoke less?  How could you grow as a person by speaking more?

I would not be able to stop talking for almost five years.  When I was that age my family would make bets during road trips to see how long I could go without talking. I think my record was three hours but I may have fallen asleep in that. Usually the trip was to see family.  As funny as it might seem I only talked in front of my household family. I didn't really care to learn the names of all of my cousins because I have so many and for a while I was the youngest. If I would have talked more at things like family reunions I think I would have better relationships with all of my cousins today. At the same time though the age gaps are pretty big and we all live in different states so that makes it hard too. I usually just got to know them by sitting with my aunts and uncles and listened to them talk about their kids. I guess I don't really know how to answer this question but I'm just going to wing it and say that there is a time to talk and a time to just stay silent. I think what Maya Angelou did was a little over the top but that it was also brave in a way.  On those car rides with my family they always tried to get me to talk, so I can't imagine all of the people that tried to get her to talk and rather or not it was hard to stay silent. It's a hard thing to understand. 

6.) Angelou says she is comfortable using six or seven languages, has spoken at one time or another as many as twelve, and has been a teacher in at least three.  Are you comfortable using another language?  Which languages would you like to be fluent in?  Why those?  Or do you think speaking English is good enough because you live in America and that's all we should need to live here?  Why?

As of right now I only know English, and even that gets overwhelming sometimes.  I couldn't imagine being fluent in multiple languages.  I know the very  basics of Spanish but I mean who doesn't? The one language that I really wish I knew is sign language. It's always fascinated me and I feel like it would come in handy. Even if I end up working at McDonald's the rest of my life, because we have some customers that we have to have right down their order and I always feel bad for not knowing how to communicate any other way with them.  I don't know of anyone who knows sign language and who would be patient enough to teach me but I sure would like to give it a shot.