Maya Angelou Biography

The novel I Know why the Caged Bird Sings written by Maya Angelou is an autobiographical story about her life and the struggles she faced up to age 16. Angelou’s struggles with trying to find her true identity, coming to terms with being raped, and dealing with racism growing up in the south, which influences in her novel by forcing her to open to the audience and share her struggles with the world.

Maya Angelou born as Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928. She grew up in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas (Maya Angelou Biography). Maya just three years old when her mother sent her to live with her grandma, and 13 when they were reunited

(Maya Angelou Biography).Although her grandmother helped her develop pride and self-confidence, Angelou was devastated by being raped at the age of eight by her mother's boyfriend while on a visit to St. Louis (Maya Angelou Biography) .After she testified against the man, several of her uncles beat him to death (Maya Angelou Biography). Believing that she had caused the man's death by speaking his name, Angelou refused to speak for approximately five years (Maya Angelou Biography).She attended public schools in Arkansas and later California (Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou died due to respiratory failure (Johnson).While she was still living she well aware of her diagnoses, but ignored it (Johnson).She suffered from the diagnoses for up to ten years (Johnson). Maya died in her sleep on May 28, 2014 at her home in North Carolina (Leopold) .In total She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than fifty years (Leopold). Due to her wishes, she was cremated and had her ashes scattered (findagrave).Angelou was loved by many because she touched so many people with her amazing