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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a coming of age story of a young black woman during a critical time of African American History. The story is an autobiography about Maya Angelou during the 1930 s in rural segregated Stamps, Arkansas. Within this framework Maya jumps back and forth between triumphs and drama. However, this poses several questions: Why does she do this? And what effect does it have on the reader? Maya jumps back and forth between triumphs and drama in order to keep the reader interested, and this allows the reader to remain focused on the story and this also makes it more suspenseful and enjoyable to read.
First off, it is important to understand that the story goes from triumph to drama quite quickly. A prime example of this is when Maya successfully drove the car from the Mexican bar to the border (guards box) and said, No matter what happened after that, I had won. However, just as quickly as Maya praised herself over this triumph, when she pulled away from the guards box she slammed into another car. Suddenly her triumph became drama. Now, one might wonder how this keeps the reader interested. Well, the sudden change draws the readers attention and thus it is more interesting.
Not only this, but the fact that the story changes from triumph to drama so quickly affects the reader in the sense that it keeps him / her on their toes, or in other words makes it suspenseful. Secondly, the fact that Maya chooses opportune times to change from triumph to drama keeps the reader interested and affects the reader by making it more suspenseful. In other words during boring parts of the story where a reader would appear to be becoming less interested, Maya attracts the readers attention by a sudden change from triumph to drama. For example, Maya spends an entire chapter discussing how she lived in a junkyard. There is no real triumph or drama-taking place here; thus the reader becomes less interested.
Though, just at the right time Maya suddenly jumps toward triumph, I was at home again. And my mother was a fine lady. Maya expresses her triumph in returning home to her mother after spending a month living happily in a car. It is clear that opportune times for change to triumph or drama contributes to keeping the reader interested and making the story more suspenseful.
Although, there is still one more reason why the switch back and forth between triumphs and drama keeps the reader interested and affects the reader by making the story more suspenseful: it happens often. Throughout the entire story there were constant changes between triumphs and drama. Some examples of a few, plus the ones previously discussed, include, (in the beginning) when Maya is living with her mother (triumph), followed by her being raped by her mothers boyfriend (drama), Maya graduating (large triumph), followed by the graduation speech putting down blacks (drama), and Maya getting a job as a streetcar driver (triumph), followed by her receiving very poor work hours (slight drama). Nevertheless, the certainty that Maya jumps back and forth between triumph and drama frequently results in keeping the reader interested and making the story more suspenseful for one to read. Regardless, there are three reasons explaining why jumping back and forth between triumphs and drama keeps the reader interested and affects the reader by making the story more suspenseful and enjoyable. These reasons are that it jumps from triumphs to drama quickly, frequently, and occurs at appropriate times.
It is clear that these three reasons not only keep the reader interested but also make the story more suspenseful. One example that exhibits all three reasons is when Maya graduates. The story discusses the graduation in length thus when the actual graduation occurs it is a large triumph at a fitting time. Maya is so happy about graduating but then the graduation speech quickly turns to drama as the orator puts down blacks and, in a sense, sets a lower bar for them. The third reason is expressed in the sense that it is one of many changes between a triumph and a drama.
Obviously, this evidence proves that Maya jumps back and forth between triumphs and trauma in order to keep the reader interested, and this allows the reader to remain focused on the story and also makes it more suspenseful and enjoyable to read. Still Maya takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride, full of highs and lows.
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