| This is the autobiography of Maya Angelou's harsh and unpleasant childhood. She and her brother were shuttled from relatives in the dirt poor rural south to then live for a time in St. Louis with their pretty but irresponsible mother. Eventually they met their father. The book shows the ignorance and prejudice of both black and white people in the 30's and 40's. In St. Louis, Maya is molested as a young girl by an acquaintance of her mother. In California, she becomes a delinquent and lives on the streets and in abandoned cars while in her teens. By the time she is in high school she has become pregnant with a child. | ||
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Plot & Themes Kids growing up/acting up? Yes Kids: - parental abuse job/profession: Ethnic/Relig. of subject (inside) Gender/Class story? - woman's story Job/profession/poverty story Yes Ethnic/regional/gender Yes Period of greatest activity? - 1900+ Subject of Biography Gender - Female Profession/status: Ethnicity - Black Nationality - American Setting United States Yes The US: - Deep South City? Yes City: - dirty, grimy (like New York) - dangerous - Century: - 1930's-1950's Writing Style Book makes you feel? - angry Graphic sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - rape/molest - - impregnation/reproduction If this is a kid's book: - Age 16-Adult Pictures/Illustrations? - None How much dialogue in bio? - significantly more descript than dialog How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 0-25% of book |
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