Question: 2. Analyse the connection between the setting and one or more themes. Note: Setting may refer to physical places as well as social and historical contexts.
The Caged Bird - Maya Angelou
In the Poem 'the caged bird' written by Maya Angelou, the setting of the cage links to the theme shown throughout the poem of racism and breaking through the wall of discrimination. The Author describes the bird being stuck in this cage, trying to use its voice and power to escape it. She talks about how the bird is trying to be set free and have some kind of freedom but it's just being held back from opportunities and the freedom that it deserves instead. This setting of the cage is like a mirror image of racism and the walls put up through discrimination. Comment by Liz Cable: The setting is a poor choice for a poem question. Setting questions is very well suited to long texts such as My Place. Choose a language question for a poem.
In the Second Stanza, Angelou talks about this bird being stuck in this narrow cage, being helpless and tied down, not being able to move. This setting reflects the stereotypes put on people of color by society. Often people and the media portray and think of black people as these dangerous and different people that are less than us. Angelou describes this societal stereotype by setting the scene of the bird being helpless. In the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth lines in the stanza, it says, " can seldom see through his bars of rage, his wings are clipped and his feet are tied." It puts the side of the minority into perspective because it shows how helpless they feel and how they feel that there's nothing they can do to break free of the stereotypes put on them by society. Comment by Liz Cable: evidence?? Please be specific The fourth stanza explains how the bird is dreaming of all the opportunities and things he could do if he could just break out of this cage. The first three lines in this stanza talk about the peaceful visuals that this bird desires to see but is let down by the sight of the cage he is stuck in. The section of the stanza that says, "The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees," gives a sense of a setting that is peaceful which contrasts the setting of being in the ca...
