Examine Marguerite Johnson’s growing up, showing her increasing awareness to oppression

“If growing up is painful for the southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat.” Examine Marguerite Johnson’s growing up, showing her increasing awareness to oppression.

‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ was set in the 1930s when racism was endemic and institutionalised. However, the autobiographical novel was written in the 1960s, when black people were beginning to fight prejudice and gain equal rights.
The title was taken from a poem by Paul Lawrence Dunbar called ‘Sympathy’. After reading the book it is clear why she chose this title. In the security and the cage of Stamps she was free to spread her wings and ‘sing’, this is where she was happiest, protected from the big cities and the world. It seems after reading the book that every time Marguerite leaves Stamps something bad happens, for example, when Mr. Freeman raped her, when she crashed her father’s car, and even when she was attacked by ...