I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings

Summary: In chapter 24 of Maya Angelou's "I know Why the Cage Bird Sings" Maya gets a really bad toothache. The closest black Dentist was miles away, so her grandmother took her to the closest white Dentist that was in town. Momma took Maya there because she helped Dr. Lincoln during the Great Depression. Because people had no money to pay for things Momma would make trades in her store. It put food on their table and helped out others. Momma thought because she helped Dr. Lincoln that he would help her back. Momma was wrong. Dr. Lincoln said that, "I'd rather stick my hands in a dogs mouth"(189). The doctor never even looked at Maya let alone try and help her pain. Momma paused in disbelief and asked Maya to wait downstairs for her. Momma went into the office and yelled at him, to the point of tears. She argued with him telling the doctor that he was not a gentelman and that he had no respect. In the end the Doctor was just glad that he wasn't going to be killed. Momma left the office with authority. She went up to Maya and told her she was going to take her to the black Dentist. For a minute there Maya couldn't really feel the pain of her tooth ache anymore. She said "I was so proud of being her granddaughter and sure that some of her magic must have come down on me" (191). Maya knew with Mrs. Henderson on her side that she could never be hurt.

Response: Maya has had to deal with a lot of racism but this was the one time that I believe she felt safe. Maya was so lucky to have a grandmother that cared about her so much. Maya was in a lot of pain and Mrs. Henderson did everything she could to try and fix Mayas toothache. Mrs. Henderson did a lot for other people. During the Great Depression she helped people of all colors but it did not seem to help her in this situation. Momma does everything she can for Bailey and Maya. She thought that, that day she could could get help for maya pain quick and without any problems. Dr. Lincoln was a dentist that she had helped during the Depression and she thought he would return the favor by working on Mayas tooth. It was a shock to both Maya and Momma when Dr. Lincoln made those nasty racist comments. It made me think how people with color got through some of the things they had to go through. These days racism is around but it is no longer on the surface like it was back then. Even Children and women were not spared in the horrible display of racial discrimination. The white's had to keep up their appearances and there is no way Dr. Lincoln was going to screw up his image. When momma asked Maya to leave and she started yelling at the doctor, I felt that she was not only sticking up for Maya but she was also defending herself as a person. I liked the fact that she put him down till he cried because thats what he deserves. Mrs. Henderson was a good person and doesn't deserve that kind of disrespect, especially in front of her granddaughter. It's like the old saying "If you can't take it, don't dish it out." Mrs. Henderson put that doctor in his place. She didn't give up either, she stuck to her promise and took Maya to get rid of that awful toothache. Maya had a guardian that will always have her back and no matter what will make sure she is not suffering in any kind of pain.