Chapter 23: Graduation Speech

Dear Class of 1940,

Today, at this very moment, you all have the choice of who you want to be, not only as a person, but in life as well. As I look around, I can see by the looks on your faces that everyone here has a different dream and wants to go in different directions in life. I hope that each of you know that the road you take will have many different paths and shortcuts but no matter which ones you choose, follow your heart and don't let stereotypes, segregation, or discrimination stop you. People in life may try to hold you back, but it is your job to prove that you are in charge of your life and to express that the color of someone's skin doesn't make anyone less of a person.  Let this day be full of joy, and allow yourself to aspire to be a famous inventor like Elija McCoy, or even an educator like Booker T. Washington., or to become a musician like Bert Williams or George Walker. For all of the ladies out there, look at Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to receive a pilot's license, or even Hattie McDaniel, the first African American woman to receive and oscar. Everyone, please allow yourself to accept that the sky is the limit. Go out and live life.

Chapter 19 (Symbolism)

Jackie Robinson was an African American man who played baseball, football, basketball, and track at UCLA and was the first to receive varsity letters in all four sports. Later on Jackie became a professional baseball player from 1947-19565. During his times, baseball was segregated, Robinson was the first to integrate the major leagues. Robinson played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and received rookie of the year with 12 homers, 29 steals, and wont the batting title with a .297 average. Jackie Robinson was then put in the Hall of Fame in 1962. Jackie Robinson became a symbol of triumph for black americans because Jackie Robinson had to struggle through tough times, but overcame those times to persevere and excel in several sports, especially baseball. Jackie is very similar to Joe Louis from I Know Why the Cage Bird Sing, by Maya Angelou because Joe Louis was an African-American boy, who fought for equal rights. Joe Louis was known as the "Brown Bomber" who fought professionally, and was named the"champion of the world". These two men, Jackie and Joe both overcame tough times to prove that African Americans are just as strong, and caucasians are superior. 

Chapters 17 and 18: After the "Retreat" Et The Revival

"The night suddenly became enemy territory, and I knew that if my brother was list in this land he was forever lost. He was eleven and very smart, that I granted, but after all he was so small." 

This quotation is from chapter seventeen when Margeurite and Momma set out to look for Bailey. Bailey had been gone for hours, and everyone was getting worried. It was late evening and Margeurite and Momma were walking down the street trying to pretend nothing was wrong so neighbors wouldn't find out that Bailey was missing. Margeurite was thinking of the worst possible situations of where Bailey could be. 

Marguerite was afraid that Bailey was lost and was scared for him, and portrayed her feelings in this quote. When Marguerite and her mom found Bailey he was just walking down the street, and when Momma asked him where he was, he couldn't give her an excuse. This led to an extreme punishment when he arrived at home. 

Prologue: Perspective

In the prologue of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, in Marguerite's dreams she sees herself as a beautiful white girl with blond hair and blue eyes. When in real life she has black hair, a big space between her teeth, broad shoulders, and skinny legs. In Marguerite's words "Wouldn't they be surprised when one day i woke out of my black ugly dream, and my real hair which was long and blond, would take the place of the kinky mass that my momma wouldn't let me straighten?"