In I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, racism is a frequent obstacle that non-white people have had to overcome. When Maya is young, she does not recognize racism and discrimination as well as her grandmother. As Maya grows up, she begins to recognize and take note of the racism and discrimination against her and African Americans around the world. Maya may not recognize racism and discrimination very well at her young age, but it nonetheless affects her outlook on life in the same way it would have if she had recognized it. The racism and discrimination Maya faced throughout I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings affected her attitude, personality, and overall outlook on life in a positive way. Even though Maya is young, she notices white impudence but does not always recognize it as racism. and this affected his attitude towards his life. He is taught to understand that white people don't like black people; the white race is bad. Although she can understand this and understand that white people must be obeyed, she does not understand the reasoning. For example, when the young white girls make fun of Mom in front of the Store, Maya cries behind the door because she doesn't understand why they are so mean, especially because Mom hasn't done anything wrong to them. Maya says, "I wanted to throw a handful of black pepper in their faces, throw lye on them, scream at them that they were filthy, filthy woods, but I knew I was as clearly imprisoned behind the scenes as the actors outside were. to their roles” (Angelou, 25 years old). Maya didn't understand why the girls were making fun of Mom or why Mom wasn't making any attempts to get away from them. For her, this event was an act of hatred and jealousy, and not an act of racism or discrimination. Another...... middle of paper ......e facing sexism, racism and discrimination in the book. Through hatred, discrimination, sexism, racism and everything in between, Maya triumphs and brings hope not only to her, but to the black race as a whole. It brings hope that all black people are capable and that perseverance and dedication pay off in the end. She recognizes the injustices and, instead of letting them negatively impact her life, she positively impacts her life through the injustices. Maya's journey throughout the book is one of true strength and empowerment. She fought against racism, even though she didn't understand what it was. The discrimination reinforced her before she graduated from eighth grade. She transformed hatred into motivation and ambition. The racism and discrimination Maya faced throughout I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings affected her attitude, personality, and overall outlook on life in a positive way..