Understanding I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents »

JOANNE MEGNA-WALLACE is Professor of Humanities at Bradford College in Bradford, Massachusetts, where she teaches French and women's literature.

This rich interdisciplinary collection of materials will enhance the reader's understanding of the historical and social forces that shaped Angelou's experience.

VOYA

Two Greenwood series titles provide excellent literary critiques of Angelou's work. In the Literature in Context series, Megna Wallace does an admirable job of putting Angelou's first autobiography in historical context, using the socio-political atmosphere surrounding I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings as a means of explaining Angelou's and others' actions as characters in the book. Megna-Wallace discusses violence and racism, segregated school, the African American Church, African American families, child sexual abuse, and censorship in relation to Angelou's book. Additionally, she includes excerpts from important books, articles, and studies discussing these topics. While Megna-Wallace primarily focuses on Caged Bird, Lupton looks at all five of Angelou's autobiographies in her entry in the Critical Companions to Popular Contemporary Writers series. She puts Angelou's work in literary context, not historical. She gives a brief overview of Angelou's life and the art of autobiography. Then she discusses each of Angelou's books looking at narrative point of view, structure, plot development, character development, setting, themes, style and literary devices, and critical reading. Lupton discusses Angelou's books in relation to each other and to other writers, both black and white. Both books are well written and beneficial, but Lupton's is more helpful for students. Megna-Wallace's book, with its in-depth historical overview, is almost too much for high school students wanting to find quick sources of criticism. Only the most dedicated, self-motivated students will be interested. It lends itself better to teachers as each chapter includes study questions and "topics for written or oral explanation." Students will find Maya Angelou invaluable with its clear headings breaking down the stories to their various parts. It is also a good introduction to literary criticism. Lupton writes clearly, illustrating good criticism and explaining literary terms as she goes along. In one of my favorite sections, Lupton looks at each autobiography using a different form of criticism. She uses feminist criticism with Caged Bird, deconstructionism for Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas, Freudian criticism for The Heart of a Woman, and so on. Students of Angelou's autobiographical work will find much enlightenment here. Both books are excellent for what they do, but if you have to make a choice, Maya Angelou: A Critical Companion is the more practical. Note: This review was written and published to address Understanding I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Understanding I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Index. Biblio. Further Reading. Chronology. VOYA Codes: 4Q 2P S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12).