As you know, symbolism occurs when a person, place, or thing (such as hair) represents itself and something beyond itself. Hair, strangely enough, is a symbol in Hurston's novel. Other symbols that Hurston uses are the weather/hurricane and the pear tree. If you are reading Maya Angelou, what are some symbols (caged bird, perhaps?) that you've noticed? The cool thing about symbolism is that you have to figure it out. Calling all literary sleuths: How (in the world) is hair a symbol in Hurston's novel? What about the pear tree and/or hurricane? What does the title of each novel refer to? How does this passage relate to a possible theme of the novel? Hmmmm...
Hurston's novel symbolizes hair as Janie's confinement in her role as a Mayor's wife. When Janie is forced to cover her hair she is bending down to society's beliefs and her husband's will. Once Janie burns the rags that she was forced to use to cover her hair it symbolizes Janie's break from the norms of high society. The pear tree symbolizes the changes from a bud or girl into a fruit or a woman. "Their Eyes Were Watching God" refers to everyone who met Janie along the way and how they interacted with her, acted around her, and how they talked about her. Janie was a goddess in many peoples' eyes with her beauty, the way she dealt with hardships, and the way that she pushed to be released from society.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the symbolic meaning of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” was a little more that her beauty. She wasn’t a goddess per say. The way people saw her as she put all others needs before hers and how she handled being treated wrongly it was like watching God take care of the situation. When Janie burns the hair rags it symbolizes her freedom and a fresh start. It was as though something clicked and she realized she could do what she wanted for the first time in forever.
DeleteI completely agree! Her hair was one thing that she was known by. When she burnt the rags that was like setting herself free from Joe Stark and growing as a women. Her hair having to be tied back really restricted a lot for her and she lost power. But things changed when she found Teacake and she allowed him to love her hair and I believe that had a lot of meaning behind it.
DeleteI also agree with the idea that Janie's hair symbolizes Janie's free will. When she burns the rags, she is expressing her indiviiduality with her hair, which she covered up when Joe Stark intitially asked her to tie up her hair. It's interesting to see how Janie's expression through her hair evolves throughout the novel. Such as, In the beginning, Janie feels free with her beautiful hair, then she feels tied up along with her hair when she wraps it, and in the end, Janie knows her true identity and continues to keep her hair down, knowing her hair makes her feel free.
DeleteObviously when I first started reading "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" my first question was why. Why does the caged bird sing? And what in the world does that even mean? After reading the novel I have gathered some ideas to answer these questions. There is a good chance I am very wrong but I believe we are all a caged bird. The cage is made up of the things that we use to separate ourselves from others. For example Maya stops talking and playing with the other kids after she returns from St. Louis because of the incident. That accident would be part of the cage Maya built to separate herself. However, the cages we built can not stop us from living a joyful life. I believe Mrs. Flowers helped Maya realize this by giving her things to focus on like reading. To put in simple terms the caged bird must sing because life must go on.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the symbolism in the title "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," could definitely be placed into the situation where Maya tells her family in St. Louis about Mr. Freeman raping her. Maya is definitely the bird, the rape her cage, and the truth her song. Maya told the truth so that she would not be held captive of such a horrible thing. The caged bird sings in the hopes of being set free, in this case that is. Maya needed to be set free of Mr. Freeman and the horrible things he did to her, and telling the truth was the song that was going to set her free. A possible theme for "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," is the truth will set you free.
ReplyDeleteWow, before I read the book I had this idea that the caged bird sang because it was thinking of what it'd be like out of the cage. I thought that Maya had dreamed of what it would've been to have a different/ better life; a life where she was white or maybe just more privileged. I never made the connection with her being raped as her cage. That is a really interesting way to look at it. I really love your way of thinking.
DeleteOne element of symbolism I noticed in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" was Momma's store, and everything in it. On the surface level, it was a place where people from all around could get what they needed, view special events, and simply find something useful to do. The deeper meaning behind the store was that it represented a home to Maya. It brought comfort and discipline to her, it helped her to surround herself with people that cared about her and respected her, and most importantly it provided her with a sense of community, and the idea that there were always going to be people around that stuck to her side and were with her in her journey towards becoming a better person. I believe that the store was always the place where she felt she could truly fit in.
ReplyDeleteI also felt like there was a hint of symbolism in Momma's store. Yes, it did bring her a sense of comfort and discipline in her life, but it also helped her process and learn several life experiences and life lessons. It was a place where judgement from others was not important to Maya, and that allowed her to feel safer than outside the store. People who she loved and thought highly of surrounded her there, which gave her a sense of home and acceptance. It was the place where she could be herself and not feel left behind by the world and by others around her. It was her ultimate safe place in her life because it allowed her to be the person she wanted to be.
ReplyDeleteI believe a major symbol in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is Maya's baby. She made the cage to protect herself after she was raped, and stayed inside of it for a long time, because she didn't think she'd ever be able to forget about and overcome that event. She knew she was different, but she thought this difference ruined her. The baby was her first major moment of realization that she had the freedom and ability to do what she wanted, and that her past wasn't going to hold her back. She even mentioned how this baby was totally hers, it wasn't given to or bought for her by anyone else. Originally, she was also worried about hurting her son, but her mother showed her how she had natural instincts to help care for the child. By realizing she is independent, she comes out of her cage, which makes me see her baby boy as a symbol of her freedom.
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ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyes Were Watching God", Janie has a symbol that is effectively an indicator of her life - her hair. That is to say, her hair is a symbol of herself. Her hair is rarely mentioned in the first marriage section of the book, only showing Logan had lost interest in her and her hair ("He had ceased to wonder at her long black hair and finger it."). However, after Janie travels with Joe Starks, she becomes confined socially and physically. Joe refuses to let Janie participate in social events, such as the funeral of a mule. Also, after noticing a townsman, Walter, touching Janie's hair, he refused to let Janie be seen at the store (effectively her only appearances in public) without her hair covered in rags, further ensuring confinement to Joe. After his death, Janie quickly burns the rags, destroying her symbol of suppression and showing that she is free. Afterwords, she normally wears it in a long braid, creating a sense of individuality that stays until travelling with Tea Cake. When with Tea Cake, Janie allows Tea Cake access to her hair, showing that trust is given to Tea Cake.
ReplyDeleteIn Hurstons novel I believe that hair symbolizes Janie's true self. Before becoming the mayors wife she lets her hair down and she is herself, but after becoming the mayors wife she has to keep her hair up and she can't really be herself. The pear tree is a symbol of how Janie is growing and changing into the person she wants to be. I think the title is referring to Janies journeys and everyone/ everything she has to deal with and overcome to become her true self .
ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyes Were Watching God", many symbols occur throughout the course of the novel, yet the one that is constantly there is Janie's hair. I agree with Noah that Janie's hair symbolizes her true self. It shows her individuality and constantly shows different things as she travels along her journey with her three husbands. Before marriage, she wears it long and natural, showing her freedom and how she can truly be herself. While with Logan, her hair isn't mentioned much, like Eric said, as Logan had lost interest in Janie. As soon as Janie marries Joe, he begins treating her as an object to hide and preserve, so he gives her cloth to cover her hair with and hide herself. He uses this cloth as a way to assert his dominance and prevent any other men from being attracted to Janie. When he dies and she burns the cloth, her hair is released to go back to laying naturally as she wants it, and she finds herself released from Joe's tight hold on her life and desires. Janie begins braiding her hair yet also entrusting Tea Cake with her hair as he brushes it, showing how close they are. The pear tree shows Janie's growth in both herself and in love. Like the pear tree, she began as a bud, a young woman. Time passed and she blossomed into a beautiful flower. As more time passes, just like the flower, she will wilt and fall off the tree, thus resulting in her passing away. However, Janie's love life starts with the pear tree and her first kiss underneath it. She longs for a romance as beautiful as the relationship between the bees and the flowers, and the blooming flowers eventually represent her true love with Tea Cake. The title of the novel represents Janie's journey. Instead of having her eyes watching her grandmother or anyone else to do what they want, her eyes follow God and her own destiny, allowing her to do what she sees best and what she truly wants.
ReplyDeleteA major symbol in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" was Maya's son, as Erika mentioned. However, I believe that Maya's son did not represent freedom as much as it did individuality and pride. As Erika implied, Maya was representative of the bird. Also, as she said, Maya put herself in this metaphorical cage after Mr. Freeman assaulted her and took away her confidence. In my opinion, Maya sang inside of that cage because she wanted to be free, because she longed to feel normal again. One event in her book that I think represented her singing from within that cage was when ran away from her father. He and his girlfriend put her through immense troubles (Dolores mentally and Bailey Sr. physically). She sang because she refused to tolerate how she was being treated. Her song grew louder in the junkyard where she resided for a time. As Maya felt more confident to break the locks of her cage, she took more risks and tested herself by striving to become a Conductorette. When she got the job, she set herself free. Although she had freedom, she was not happy with her life entirely. This was shown when she began to skip classes at school. Just because Maya was free did not mean that she was entirely happy, for she did not know what this freedom could further offer. After she had her son, however, she realized that she could do whatever she set her mind to. She gained her freedom prior to her child's birth, but she became confident with herself and proud of her abilities with the boy she brought into the world all on her own.
ReplyDeleteIn "Their Eyes Were Watching God" Janie's hair is a major symbol. Her hair is the first thing men notice about her. Janie's hair shows her heritage and why she's different. Her hair is straight and white woman's, yet she is not white. Her grandmother was assaulted by her owner and Janie's hair shows that and is a symbol of her strength and freedom. The hair is also a symbol that she has different physical appearance and beliefs. Janie does not believe in binding her hair in a rag as she works, but Joe did. After Joe had died she had burned the rag because she did not believe her hair should be forced up. The hurricane was another major symbol in the book. It symbolizes death and represents all of the death the hurricane causes. It also foreshadows Tea Cake's death.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the caged bird is the symbolism of every human. Think about it, throughout the novel, Maya feels she is separated from everyone based on her race and gender, right? Well think of it this way. Maya is the bird, and the cage is those things that separate her from others, such as her black skin, her gender, and the other factors that add on throughout the novel. It represents her separation from everyone, even from those in the black community. But as the novel goes along and she gains her own voice, she sings. It's a very unique version of symbolism but very relative to this story.
ReplyDeleteIn "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings", a strong symbol stuck out to me. It was the fact that Maya saw her crippled uncle trying so hard to stand and be normal when a white couple was in the Store. It showed that no matter what you do in your every day life you'll soon grow sick of being stuck in that position. I think that it helps people understand that some one might seem happy but inside they could be sick of doing what they are doing everyday.Maya also learned how her uncle felt when she went mute after the Mr. Freeman incident and everyone wanted her to go back to her normal self and get better. Maya's uncle did go back to how he was after the people left, but him trying to be normal for once was powerful in Maya's mind.
ReplyDeleteGoing along with the first few comments, I agree that Janie's hair symbolizes her free will. The reader could see this throughout Janie's relationships. During her relationship with Joe, she had her hair tied up because Joe had told her to. Joe was controlling Janie and this was shown through him forcing her to keep her hair up. Later, when she finds Tea Cake and can finally be herself she is able to wear it down again and be proud of her hair. Also, I believe the hurricane symbolized a new beginning in Janie's lifetime. This is because the hurricane had pushed Janie and Tea Cake away from their home on the glades. Janie ended up losing everything, including Tea Cake, which then in turn starts her new beginning.
ReplyDeleteThe title of 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' was a symbol that summed up the main parts of the book. I think that the bird symbolizes Maya. Maya is in a 'cage' that had been made from all the bad things that had happened to her throughout the novel. A huge thing being when Mr. Freeman raped her. This was a huge part of the 'cage' built around Maya. I think that other parts include when her grandmother sent her to live with her mom, when her brother left, and when her father and his friends left her homeless. After Maya was raped she stopped talking or communicating with others as much. By the end of the book Maya has worked to break the silence.
ReplyDeleteThe title of 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' was a symbol that summed up the main parts of the book. I think that the bird symbolizes Maya. Maya is in a 'cage' that had been made from all the bad things that had happened to her throughout the novel. A huge thing being when Mr. Freeman raped her. This was a huge part of the 'cage' built around Maya. I think that other parts include when her grandmother sent her to live with her mom, when her brother left, and when her father and his friends left her homeless. After Maya was raped she stopped talking or communicating with others as much. By the end of the book Maya has worked to break the silence.
ReplyDeleteBefore I even began "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings", I made a couple guesses as to what that would meaning regards to the book as a whole. The first one was that the bird symbolizes Maya as a child. All children long for freedom and have aspirations to soar as high as their dreams can take them, which is exactly how Maya was as a kid. The second guess that I made was that at some point in the novel, she would build a wall around herself for a while and wouldn't let anyone in. That is where the cage comes from. Although as I read, it became obvious that it was more complicated than that. As I was reading, I saw it more like this: Maya chose to see just the cage's bars that were holding her in. Those were all her problems that she had to overcome, most of which were caused by Mr. Freeman. She didn't know any other way to deal with it other than shutting down, rather than trying to find an alternative way. (Granted, she was a child.) Mrs. Flowers helped Maya by opening the cage's door to allow her to fly free once more.
ReplyDeleteI believe that in 'I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings' the cage symbolizes the struggles Maya had to go through or put up with. Obviously, like everyone else is saying, Mr. Freeman is the man cause for all her problems in life. Other problems involved her family and her father's friends. All the struggles started to build up that's why she uses the cage. And clearly, the bird is Maya Angleou. But towards the end of the book Maya found a way to break out of the cage and be free.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that in the book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” Maya's baby boy symbolizes the point in her life where Maya is finally released from her cage, but I think Maya’s cage actually symbolizes her own self hatred. A large majority of Maya's life summarized in the book are instances that highlight her insecurities and regrets. Maya mentions as a little girl that she dreams of being a pretty little white girl instead of being what she sees herself as, an ugly fat black girl. Even when Maya is harmed by Mr. Freeman it is Maya that feels terrible for the incidents so she lies in order to try to protect herself from her family not liking her. After the court case, Mr. Freeman is beaten to death, but still it is Maya who feels that she is responsible. Maya speaks about always feeling left out in her family for being the ugly one in midst of her lovely mother and handsome father and brother. Through realizing she is different from her peers, Maya learns to appreciate herself as she does things she never thought she could such as driving, living on her own in the junk yard, and being the first African American Conductorette. Maya began to realize how much she had overcome in her life and noticed her relation to the singing caged bird. I think that Maya was able to release herself from the cage when she saw her precious baby boy as something that she had created that belonged entirely to herself. When Maya woke up after sleeping in the same bed as her newborn she came to realize that she was ready for what the world would bring during her lifetime because she had the new found hope from her baby boy.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that in the book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” Maya's baby boy symbolizes the point in her life where Maya is finally released from her cage, but I think Maya’s cage actually symbolizes her own self hatred. A large majority of Maya's life summarized in the book are instances that highlight her insecurities and regrets. Maya mentions as a little girl that she dreams of being a pretty little white girl instead of being what she sees herself as, an ugly fat black girl. Even when Maya is harmed by Mr. Freeman it is Maya that feels terrible for the incidents so she lies in order to try to protect herself from her family not liking her. After the court case, Mr. Freeman is beaten to death, but still it is Maya who feels that she is responsible. Maya speaks about always feeling left out in her family for being the ugly one in midst of her lovely mother and handsome father and brother. Through realizing she is different from her peers, Maya learns to appreciate herself as she does things she never thought she could such as driving, living on her own in the junk yard, and being the first African American Conductorette. Maya began to realize how much she had overcome in her life and noticed her relation to the singing caged bird. I think that Maya was able to release herself from the cage when she saw her precious baby boy as something that she had created that belonged entirely to herself. When Maya woke up after sleeping in the same bed as her newborn she came to realize that she was ready for what the world would bring during her lifetime because she had the new found hope from her baby boy.
ReplyDeleteIn "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" I believe that Maya's new baby boy symbolizes her finally being released from her cage full of pain and suffering. Maya had so much to overcome, but in the end it was all worth it to her when she curled up to the life she had given to the world. Her baby boy was also in a way releasing her from the frame of mind of what everyone else saw her as. When her child looks at her all he sees is a caring mother and in that moment no one elses opinion matters. Her child shows her that there is more to life than worrying what other people think of her, and whith that she is released from her cage.
ReplyDeleteIn "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" I believe that Maya's new baby boy symbolizes her finally being released from her cage full of pain and suffering. Maya had so much to overcome, but in the end it was all worth it to her when she curled up to the life she had given to the world. Her baby boy was also in a way releasing her from the frame of mind of what everyone else saw her as. When her child looks at her all he sees is a caring mother and in that moment no one elses opinion matters. Her child shows her that there is more to life than worrying what other people think of her, and whith that she is released from her cage.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading “I Know why the Caged Bird Sings” I believe I understand the title and the symbolism it holds. I believe that the cage that the bird is inside is all of the problems Maya faces like racism, abuse, and family issues. Even though being trapped inside with all these problems she faces she finds happiness with her baby boy and doing what she wants to do, hence the caged bird singing.
ReplyDeleteThe title "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" represents Maya and how she progresses throughout the book. The bird represents Maya, and the cage represents all of her struggles such as racism, abandonment issues, rape, teenage pregnancy, and self image. The bird singing represents how Maya fights all of her issues and doesn't let them get in the way of her happiness.
ReplyDeleteIn Hurston's novel, hair is a symbol of men's ownership of women. When Janie is married to Joe Starks, he forces her to wear her hair up, to keep it hidden. When Janie's hair is constrained, she is as well. As soon as Janie is free of Starks, she lets her hair down. Her hair was free, and so was she. When she returns from living in the Everglades, her hair was let down, because marrying Tea Cake had brought her new freedoms. So, basically, Janie's hair represents how women are too often forced into traditional roles. When her hair is down, she's free of those roles.
ReplyDeleteObviously the biggest symbolism in Maya Angelou's 'I Know Why The Cage Bird Sings' is the bird. I believe that Maya compared herself and other blacks in the novel to caged birds, and explains how each one sings in their own way. Maya herself was raped by her mother's boyfriend in Chicago. Due to this, Maya ends up becoming mute for a while. Back in Stamps, she is changed by a woman named Ms. Flowers. Ms. Flowers asks to speak to Maya, telling her that she should use her words to express herself, and proving that words can be our most powerful weapons, even when we feel suppressed. Along with this, she also shows that although her race is essentially caged, that they can still find ways to express themselves and give themselves a taste of freedom with hard work and inventiveness.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel "I know why the caged bird sings" one particular part stuck out to me as symbolic, and that was when Bailey came home petrified because of the dead man he had seen. This event obviously had an impact on Maya or she wouldn't have included it to the many details laid out forming her story. It all started when Bailey saw the man smile at a body that had been pulled out of the pond, kicking it over with his foot showing that even in death the white race had to have the control. The man then made young Bailey help lift him showing that the white race would make the blacks feel powerless and before they knew it they were assisting in each other's downfall. Even prisoners who represent the worst most evil people in society thought they were too good, too high up, to possibly have to be forced to deal with a colored body that would only "stink the place up." The incident as a whole shows that the white people viewed the blacks as nothing but dead hollow bodies that would only soil and stink up the world and anything they attempted to accomplish.
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