Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race, Inequality, and Identity
Sex, Gender and Sexuality
Language
Religion
Family
Home and Displacement
Summary
Analysis
Momma and Willie treat Marguerite gently upon her return from St. Louis. She wanders about Stamps almost in a daze. People believe her to be “tender hearted”—they don’t forgive her for her sullenness, but they understand it.
“Tender hearted” is a loaded description. In this case, the phrase is a subtle critique of Marguerite’s response to her rape: she’s being too sensitive. The phrase is simultaneously understanding and cruelly critical.
Themes
