Language is such a crucial part of life that people cannot imagine a world without it. It is how they learn, express themselves, and connect with each other. The power of words and the power of silence that humans experience every day are central ideas in I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Like many other coming of age novels, Angelou’s biography is a story of finding identity. Maya is a young girl from Stamps, Arkansas, who moves many times throughout her life. In addition to these many places shaping who she is, she matures through experiences with religion, womanhood, and most importantly language and silence. As she matures, Maya discovers that language and silence have power; words can kill and define one's identity.
Maya realizes the power of language for the first time when she …show more content…
She discovers that deep relationships are formed with language and broken with silence. One such relationship is the one between her and her brother Bailey. Words form a unique bond between them because he is the only “one she [can] talk to” after her “post-rape, post-hospital affliction” (72,73). Although their special bond through words shows that language symbolizes their special trust in each other, readers do not truly understand the importance of language until Bailey is silent. Bailey makes no noise as he is whipped, and Maya “[lies] awake in eternity waiting for a sign, a whimper or a whisper, that he [is] still alive” (95). The hyperbole of lying awake in eternity allows readers to understand Maya’s deep love for her brother. However, silence is powerful enough to break this bond. The fact that Bailey’s silence makes Maya believe he is dead tells readers that Maya thinks language symbolizes his life, and this symbolism supports that language is the foundation of their relationship. Through the power of language, Maya understands the power of
Maya realizes the power of language for the first time when she …show more content…
She discovers that deep relationships are formed with language and broken with silence. One such relationship is the one between her and her brother Bailey. Words form a unique bond between them because he is the only “one she [can] talk to” after her “post-rape, post-hospital affliction” (72,73). Although their special bond through words shows that language symbolizes their special trust in each other, readers do not truly understand the importance of language until Bailey is silent. Bailey makes no noise as he is whipped, and Maya “[lies] awake in eternity waiting for a sign, a whimper or a whisper, that he [is] still alive” (95). The hyperbole of lying awake in eternity allows readers to understand Maya’s deep love for her brother. However, silence is powerful enough to break this bond. The fact that Bailey’s silence makes Maya believe he is dead tells readers that Maya thinks language symbolizes his life, and this symbolism supports that language is the foundation of their relationship. Through the power of language, Maya understands the power of