Instructions:
It is not necessary to provide a synopsis of the book.
Please discuss how Maya Angelou’s childhood experiences exemplify different aspects or topics of development. Think “developmentally” and analyze the contents of the book from at least three developmental perspectives. For example: A stage theory of your choice, the environment, relationships peers, social systems, abnormal psychology, development of self-concept and self-esteem, resilience, effects of abuse, Erikson, parenting styles, sibling relationships, friendships, Humanistic Psychology, gender issues, cognitive development, puberty, identity formation, etc. You may choose one or more persons, an institution or organization, an event, etc. from your book. Clearly identify each perspective you choose, and relate the person, organization, or event from your book to each perspective.
Possible topics, questions, and issues that could form the framework of your paper, to which you are not limited:
Moral Development, Values, and Religion:
Discuss Maya’s thoughts about her grandmother’s religious beliefs. Why is the church so important to Momma?
Throughout the book, Maya struggles with feelings that she is “bad” and “sinful,” as her thoughts echo the admonitions of her strict religious upbringing. What does she learn at the end of the memoir about right and wrong?
Comment on southern fundamentalism and its influence on the children’s lives.
Gender and Sexuality:
After her rape, why does Maya refuse to talk to anyone but Bailey? Why will she talk to him? What is the significance of the book’s title as it relates to Maya’s self-imposed muteness?
Why does Maya choose to sleep with the neighborhood boy?
Peers and the Sociocultural World:
