Notes Maya And Bailey example essay topic

CHAPTER SUMMARIES WITH NOTES Foreword / Preface Maya (Marguerite), the child narrator, is in the children's section of the Coloured Methodist Episcopal Church, where she must recite a poem for Easter Sunday. She is dressed in a lavender taffeta dress, which has been "cut-down from a white woman's once-was-purple throwaway". She cannot remember the rehearsed poem, which causes the entire children's section to "wiggle and giggle over her well-known forgetfulness". While the lavender dress was being made for her, Maya had indulged in fantasies about being a white girl with long blond hair and light blue eyes; but on Easter morning when it is time to wear the dress, all her dreams disappear, and she is a self-described as a "too-big Negro girl with nappy black hair, broad feet, and a space between her teeth that would hold a number-two pencil".

Maya slips out of the church to go to the toilet but is tripped. She wets herself. Amazingly, she laughs at the situation. Notes The foreword serves as an introduction.

Marguerite (Maya) Angelou, the central character and narrator of the book, is presented. The central theme is also introduced, for throughout the book, Maya will recall her childhood trials and tribulations and reflect on how they have helped her to develop. Maya views herself as ugly simply because she is black. She tries to hide her black legs by greasing them with Vaseline and dusting red clay on them. She also fantasizes about herself. She sometimes imagines being a white girl with long blond hair and blue eyes.

To Maya, this image was "everybody's dream of what was right with the world". The church incident presented in the foreword highlights Maya's main concern as a child: she is made to feel like a second-class human being. She is in the children's section at church, where the others laugh at her and make her feel awkward. She is wearing a faded throwaway dress; although it has been made to fit her, it does nothing to hide her large size. When she leaves to go to the bathroom, someone trips her out of meanness; as a result, she wets herself. Amazingly, she is able to laugh at the incident; and the laugh is sweet release for the girl in the purple dress.

By the end of the foreword, a basic picture of Maya as a likable human being is emerging. She is a gentle, rolling girl whose life has a rhythm of its own. She is good-natured, even in her self- deprecation. She is a narrator worth listening to. Chapter 1 At the age of three, Maya and her brother Bailey, who is four, are shipped off to live with their paternal grandmother, Momma Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas, for their parents are getting a divorce. Momma Henderson lives with Uncle Willie in the rear of the Wm.

Johnson General Merchandise Store, an establishment which serves cotton pickers and saw men. The store serves as the centre of activity in the town. Maya and Bailey are expected to work in the store. They must get up at dawn to wait on customers who stop on their way to work. Many of the customers will return to the store in the evening after their work is done. For Maya and Bailey, the store is their whole life.

It is also their teacher, for they learn some valuable lessons from their encounters and interactions with different people. Notes Chapter 1 introduces Maya's early life, her brother Bailey, her grandmother Momma Henderson, and her Uncle Willie. Because their parents are getting divorced, Maya and Bailey are sent to Stamps, Arkansas to live with their grandmother. The move away from her parents and to a new place accounts for some of Maya's sense of not belonging. She also has little chance to interact with other children, for she is expected to work in the general store that her grandmother runs.

Maya's grandmother, Momma Henderson, is a resourceful woman. She has transformed her place of business from a lunch counter to a general merchandise store, which serves everyone in town. Many of her customers are labourers, such as cotton pickers, who work extremely hard for very little pay. When they come into the store in the early morning hours, they are smiling and hopeful; when they return in the evening, they appear to be defeated souls. Even as a child, Maya realizes their level of poverty and the injustice of their hard work.

As a result, the adult Maya rages against the stereotype of happy, song-singing cotton pickers. Chapter 2 Two years later Maya and Bailey are studying at the Lafayette County Training School and work hard on their studies. They are also made to behave at home, being disciplined by Uncle Willie, who usually sits "like a giant black Z". Willie's face is always pulled down on one side from paralysis that has affected him since the age of three. One day Maya observes Uncle Willie in the presence of two schoolteachers from Little Rock who do not know him; she realizes he is pretending not to be crippled. When Willie notices Maya, he sends her outside to play.

She realizes that Uncle Willie may be tired of his disabled life. Maya has developed a love of literature, having discovered Shakespeare, Kipling, Poe, Butler, Langston Hughes, W.E.B. du Bois, and other writers. She and Bailey decide to memorize a passage from The Merchant of Venice but change their minds because Momma will know that Shakespeare is white. Instead, they choose to learn The Creation by James Weldon Johnson. Notes This chapter develops the character of Uncle Willie, a proud, but "unlucky cripple". Although he is a strict disciplinarian whom Maya and Bailey regard with fear and sympathy, he is really a sensitive man.

Uncle Willie was not born paralysed; when he was a baby, a lady taking care of him dropped him. It is obvious that he has some shame about his disability, for he tries to hide his being crippled from the schoolteachers from Little Rock. With wisdom beyond her years, the young Maya realizes that her uncle longs to be whole, even if only for a day in front of strangers. The chapter also gives more information about Maya and Bailey.

They attend a county school. Maya is a good student who has developed a love of literature. She thinks about memorizing some of Shakespeare, but decides against it, for Momma would not approve since he was a white man. Instead, Maya and Bailey decide to memorize the poetry of James Weldon Johnson, a black writer. Chapter 3 Maya's days are full. She and Bailey must feed corn to the chickens and mash to the hogs.

Maya must also work in the store; but she does not mind the routine chores that she performs there during the day. In fact, she feels totally connected to the store and comfortable with the customers, who often praise her. It is her favourite place in Arkansas. In the evening, Maya and the family often rest, while eating canned sardines and crackers. Because Willie enjoys this time of the day, he does not stutter or shake. Maya describes her passion for canned pineapples, but she never takes a can for herself from the store.

She would consider that stealing, to which she is opposed. She also describes a time when the "used-to-be Sheriff" came to the house. He told them that Willie had better hide because a "nigger" messed with a white lady, and "the boys" would be coming over later. Uncle Willie hid in the vegetable bin to protect himself from the "boys" in the Ku Klux Klan. Maya describes him "like a casserole", covered with onions and potatoes. Seeking God's protection for Willie and the family, Momma prayed in the darkened store.

Notes From a very early age, Maya reveals her values. Even though she is tempted, she will not take a can of pineapple, which she dearly loves, from the store, for she would consider it stealing. She is also very hard on herself, striving to do a perfect job and punishing herself when she makes mistakes. It is clear that Maya's values have been influenced by her grandmother, Momma Henderson. She is a religious woman, who comfortably turns to God to answer her prayers.

Maya is also capable of recognizing evil. When the old sheriff refers to "the boys", Maya knows he is talking about the Klan, which she finds abhorrent. She resents that the law enforcement officials in town do nothing to stop the dreaded hooded men. Seeking protection from the Klan, Willie hides in the vegetable bin, and Momma prays for his safety. Although the Klan never arrives at the house, Maya, after many years, still remembers the sound of Willie moaning in the bin and the sense of fear that pervaded the store. Chapter 4 The young Maya is fascinated by a man named Mr. McElroy, the only Negro in Stamps to wear a suit, except for the school principal.

All of the other blacks in town are too poor to own one. Maya is also fascinated by her brother Bailey, whom she believes to be the greatest person in her world, in spite of his stealing pickles. Calling him her "kingdom come", Maya is proud of him for being so good, for praying aloud in church, and for doing more chores than she does. She also thinks that Bailey is extremely handsome, in contrast to her own unattractiveness, and very smart.

Stamps is so well segregated that many black children have never seen a white person. The black people think of the whites with fear, which comes from "the hostility of the powerless against the powerful, the poor against the rich, the worker against the worked for and the ragged against the well dressed". Maya talks about "whitefolks-ville", the segregated portion of town where she and Bailey trespass occasionally to buy fresh meat. She thinks of the crossing over into the white area as "walking without weapons into man-eating animals' territory". Notes Bailey, who is a year older than Maya, is a mischievous boy, who never seems to get caught. Maya adores her handsome sibling and considers it her good fortune that he loves her in spite of her unattractive looks.

When Maya's elders say unkind things about her to her face, Bailey always stands up for her. Maya knows that Bailey is the pride of the family and is better liked than she is, but she is not the least bit jealous of him. Instead, she considers him to be her "unshakable god", whom she loves and trusts more than anyone else in life. Normally, the black people in town eat canned or dried meat. Maya describes how her family cures meat and stores it in the smokehouse and how at least twice a year Bailey and she are sent out to the white part of Stamps to buy fresh meat.

When she crosses into "whitefolks-ville", she is always scared. Like all the black children in town, Maya does not like white people, fearing their power. She also thinks that their feet are too small and their skin is too transparent. Chapter 5 Cleanliness and respect are two commandments that Momma instill in Maya and Bailey. As a result, the children are careful about their appearance and speak politely to their elders, saying please, thank you, ma " am, and sir. They are much better behaved than the "powhitetrash" children, who live on the land behind the school.

These children are not clean or respectful. They come to the store and act bossy and rude, calling Momma and Uncle Willie by their first names. When Maya is ten, an incident occurs that proves to be very painful. After sweeping in front of the store, Maya and Momma stop and admire their work. A group of "powhitetrash" girls come up, make fun of Momma, and create a mess in the area that has just been cleaned. Momma tells Maya to go inside the store.

From inside, Maya sees the girls continuing to tease and mock her grandmother. Momma does not let the rudeness of the girls bother her. She stands in front of the girls full of dignity, singing hymns and calling them Miz Ruth, Miz Helen, and Miz Eloise. Maya watches as one of the girls does a handstand. When her dress comes down over her shoulders, Maya is shocked to see that the girl is wearing no underwear.

By the time the girls leave and Momma comes inside the store, Maya is so upset that she is crying. As Momma comforts her, Maya sees that her grandmother's face is shining with beauty and pride. She has refused to feel shamed by the behaviour of the girls. Mama knows that Momma has won a silent victory. Maya goes outside and erases the footprints that the girls have made. She then makes a drawing on the ground.

She shapes a large heart with lots of smaller hearts growing inside. Notes Momma is the strongest figure in Maya's life. She is wise, kind, loving, understanding, and forgiving. She also tries to instil a sense of goodness and pride in her grandchildren. She does not want Maya and Bailey to be ashamed of being black and poor. When the three "powhitetrash" girls come and tease her grandmother, Maya is indignant; but Momma knows in her heart that the girls act out of ignorance and must be forgiven.

She bears their insults without being shamed and prays for them. When Maya looks into Momma's face, she sees that her piety and goodness make Momma beautiful. The hearts that Maya draws on the ground are a tribute to her grandmother, a woman whose heart is big enough to encompass lots of smaller ones, even the ones that try to shame her. Maya knows that in the contest between Momma and the "powhitetrash" girls, her grandmother has won. Even though the girls are not worthy of her respect, Momma gives it to them by addressing them as "Miz" and never criticizing or threatening them for their poor behaviour. She is truly an excellent role model for the growing grandchildren.

Chapter 6 Every three months, Reverend Howard Thomas, the presiding elder of the black church, visits Stamps and stays at the Henderson house. When he arrives, normally after dinner on Saturday evening, he eats the leftovers and gossips with Momma and Willie. Maya and Bailey dislike him because he is ugly and fat, laughs like "a hog with colic", and never remembers their names. Bailey eavesdrops on what the minister is saying to Momma and Willie.

He then repeats the news to Maya. He tells her about Mr. Coley Washington, who has a girl staying with him and who is probably "doing it" to her. He also tells Maya about a man whose "things" had been cut off for "doing it" to a white woman. On Sunday morning Maya and Bailey are given heavy breakfasts, including fried fish, biscuits, and tomato slices; Momma wants to fill them up so that they will stay quiet in church. Momma asks the Reverend to say grace before they eat; he takes so much time to bless the food that it gets cold. In church, Reverend Thomas preaches a long sermon from Deuteronomy, Maya's favourite book in the Bible.

During the service, Maya notices Sister Monroe and remembers how she once became hysterical in her religious fervour, shouting, "preach it" so loudly that the entire church was thrown into pandemonium. The mischievous Bailey also sees Sister Monroe. He goes up to her and whispers, "Preach it" in her ear as a joke. Sister Monroe grows excited at the words and runs to the pulpit. Reverend Thomas, having heard of Sister Monroe's hysterics, backs away from her, but she grabs him with excitement. The Reverend tries to ignore her and continue preaching, but somehow he has lost his dentures in the encounter with Sister Monroe.

Maya and Bailey burst into laughter, in spite of trying hard not to. Both children, after being duly punished for their outbursts, try to be on their best behaviour in front of Momma; but for weeks, when they are alone, they break into hysterics when one of the utters the phrase, "Preach it". Notes Maya and Bailey do not like it when Reverend Thomas comes to their house to stay on Saturday night. They dislike him for not remembering their names. They also dislike him because he is obese and ugly and refuses to treat Bailey like a man, insisting on hugging him instead of shaking his hand. Reverend Thomas is an unusual character.

As a thoughtless gossip, he is everything a preacher ought not be. Shortly after the reverend arrives, the children are sent to their room so the adults can talk in private. The mischievous Bailey, however, eavesdrops on their conversation and learns about the sexual activities that are going on in Stamps. He promptly reports all the news to Maya. Their childlike misunderstanding of sex is delightfully reported, and the phrase "doing it" takes on a personality of its own. The humour of the chapter continues in church on Sunday morning.

Seeing Sister Monroe, Maya remembers the time that she hysterically shouted, "preach it" during the service. When Maya reminds her brother of the incident, he cannot resist being mischievous. He goes up to Sister Monroe and whispers "preach it" in her ear. Inspired by the words, Sister Monroe rushes up to the pulpit. Reverend Thomas tries to avoid her but she grabs him. During the incident, the reverend loses his dentures, which causes Maya and Bailey to laugh hard and loudly.

When they get home, they are appropriately punished for their outburst in church. Momma will not tolerate poor behaviour. In spite of the humour in the chapter, it is very clear that religion and its teachings are very important to Momma. It is also clear that the church they attend is very fundamental. Chapter 7 Momma has had three husbands: Mr. Johnson, who is the children's grandfather; Mr. Henderson; and Mr. Murphy.

When Mr. Murphy passes through Stamps, he will usually come and stay with Momma. She, however, does not really trust him. She has Willie watch him closely to make certain that he does not steal anything from the store. Momma strives to teach Bailey and Maya practical advice about living. She teaches them to be proud of who they are and the colour of their skin.

She also warns the children that whites should be spoken to with respect, if spoken to at all. Many years before, an incident happened in Stamps that is still talked about. A black man, who was being hunted down for assaulting a white woman, takes shelter in Momma's store. When he is apprehended and taken to court, he tells the judge about taking refuge at Mrs. Henderson's store.

Momma is subpoenaed. When she arrives in court, she introduces herself as Mrs. Henderson. The judge, bailiff, and the audience laugh at her, amazed that a black woman would call herself "Mrs". Amazingly, however, the white people in Stamps still refer to Momma as Mrs. Henderson. She is the only black woman called "Mrs". by them Notes This chapter is Maya's tribute to her grandmother. It is exclusively devoted to Momma and highlights an incident that has made her a legend in Stamps.

Some of her history is disclosed, including her marriages and her code of living alongside whites. But it is the story of her court appearance that makes the chapter memorable. The legend centres around the seemingly absurd notion that a black woman warrants enough respect to be designated "Mrs". . When Momma arrives in court, the unfamiliar judge and bailiff are startled to see that the "Mrs. Henderson" mentioned is a black woman. But from then on, all the white people in Stamps call her "Mrs".

As a result; the black people look at her with new respect. Chapter 8 This chapter begins with a harsh criticism of the whites in Stamps. The blacks, who are poor and have little, judge the white people to be wealthy and decadent, with their fancy cars and glistening white houses. They are also very prejudiced.

They will not even allow black people to buy vanilla ice cream except on the Fourth of July. The rest of the year, the blacks in Stamps must be content with chocolate ice cream. Although Maya believes that God is white, she does not think he is prejudiced. She also believes that Momma has more money than the "powhitetrash", and Momma is much wiser about life and finances. In order to save money, she makes all the clothes that Maya and Bailey wear. In the summer, the children are expected to go barefoot, and their shoes are resoled when they are worn.

Momma also encourages the children not to waste or want. The depression, which hits the white section of Stamps with "cyclonic impact", seeps very slowly into the black area of town. The blacks are not even aware of it for two years. When the owners of the cotton fields, where the blacks work, reduce the payment for a pound of cotton from ten cents to seven and then five cents, the blacks begin to struggle.

There is not enough money to buy food for themselves, and they certainly cannot afford the feed for their hogs and cows. In order to eat, most of the blacks have to go on government relief and accept handouts from welfare agencies. Maya's family is one of the few black families in Stamps that does not depend on the government to exist. Momma manages to keep her business going by devising a trade agreement. She barters the goods in the store for food. As a result, Maya and Bailey never go hungry; however, they must drink powdered milk and eat powdered eggs received in trade.

After several years, the Depression begins to leave Stamps as slowly as it arrived. It is not until the start of World War II that there is any significant change in the economy. Maya never hears from her parents; she thinks they must both be dead. Then one Christmas she and Bailey receive Christmas presents from them, sent from California.

Learning that her parents are alive upsets Maya. She believes she must have done some terribly wrong to be sent away from them. She is so upset that she must take out her frustration. She tears up the white doll with blue eyes that she has received as their gift; but she keeps the tea set, hoping to someday show it to her mother. She again has hope that her mother will come and get her in the future. Notes This chapter gives a clear picture of the prejudice and poverty that the black people in Stamps must endure.

In comparison to the wealthy and seemingly decadent whites, the blacks have nothing. In order to make ends meet, most of them must raise their own food, sew their own clothes, and resole their old shoes. Although the blacks have little to spare, they are always generous with one another. Since they have little to lose, the blacks are not immediately affected by the Depression. Then, however, the whites begin to lower the wages that they pay for picking cotton. As a result, the blacks must turn to the government and welfare agencies in order to exist.

Momma's family is one of the few in town that is able to make it without assistance. In order to feed her family, Momma trades merchandise from the store for things to eat. Although they never have treats, Maya and Bailey never go hungry. Momma teaches Maya and Bailey never to be wasteful. She makes them go barefoot in the summer so they will not wear out their shoes, and she makes all of their clothes. As a result, Maya thinks that Uncle Willie is extravagant and vain, for he has seven shirts, flowered suspenders, and expensive shoes, all store bought.

The Christmas gifts, sent from their parents, upset Maya and Bailey more than they please them. The children had believed that their parents must surely be dead, since they had not come to retrieve them. When Maya learns that her mother and father are alive, she believes she must have done something terrible to make them not want her. Now that she knows the truth, she hopes that someday her mother will come for her. Chapter 9 A year after receiving the Christmas gifts, Maya's eight-year-old world is turned upside down, for her father comes to Stamps.

He is bigger and more handsome than she ever imagined. He also has a good sense of humour. Maya is so proud of him that she wants to show him off to everyone. She has the opportunity. For weeks after his arrival, the store is full of people who went to school with him or have heard about him. When they pay him attention, Maya's father struts around for their benefit.

Father Bailey announces that he will be leaving and taking the children with him. Uncle Willie, who has suffered long enough under his brother's shadow, is happy at the news. Bailey is also excited, for he wants to go to California with his father. Maya is less sure about her change in life. Although Momma is sad to be losing her grandchildren, she makes them some clothes and reminds the children that they must be good.

The day finally arrives for the three of them to depart. The trip is long and monotonous. Maya does not feel very comfortable, but Bailey fits right in with his father. As they near St. Louis, their father surprises them with the news that they are about to meet their mother.

This unexpected turn of events frightens Maya, and she says that she wants to return to Stamps. In reality, she is afraid of being rejected by her mother, Vivian. In her nervousness, Maya asks Bailey in Pig Latin if he is sure that this is really their father. Although Bailey ignores the question, Father Bailey responds. Maya is shocked to learn that Pig Latin is not Bailey's made-up language. Upon seeing her mother, Maya immediately judges her to be gorgeous, and Bailey seems to instantly fall in love with her.

Maya reasons that her mother's beauty is the cause of her giving up Bailey and herself; "she was too beautiful to have children". Maya then sees that Bailey resembles their mother, which makes Maya feel disconnected. Father Bailey soon departs, leaving Maya and Bailey in St. Louis with their mother. Maya thinks that she has been left with a stranger.

Notes Maya is shocked when her father shows up in Stamps, driving a clean grey car. Although she has often fantasized about him, he is much larger and more handsome than she had ever imagined. He is also dressed differently than the black men she has known in Stamps, for his clothes are tight and woolly. His language is also different, for he speaks English better than the school principal. Maya thinks that he has a reason to act so proud and to wear a twisted smile, which is always cocked to one side or the other. At first Maya wants everyone to see her father and be envious of her, but when she realizes that people are going to compare her with him, she wishes that no one would see him.

She starts building fantasies that she is an adopted child, an orphan "picked up to provide Bailey with company". Her father makes matters worse by poking fun at her. Maya reaches the point that she wants him to leave so she can return to her more solitary existence without worrying as to whether or not Father Bailey loves her. Unexpectedly, Father Bailey asks the children if they would like to go with him. Though Maya is not sure about leaving Stamps and Momma, Bailey is eager to go with his dad. Maya goes for solitary walks in order to think about staying behind.

She tries to imagine what life would be like without her brother. In the end, she has no choice. Momma sews her new clothes and gets her ready to depart with Father Bailey. Before long, the three of them depart. Maya still feels uncertain about the change in her life, but Bailey is delighted.

As they approach St. Louis, Father Bailey announces that Maya and Bailey are going to meet their mother. Neither of the children can believe that Vivian is so beautiful. They seem to forgive her immediately for having abandoned them. Maya reasons that she is simply too pretty to have children complicating her life. Before Maya and Bailey have a chance to settle in, Father Bailey announces that he is leaving them behind for a second time. The betrayal has lost some of its sting, however, since the children are used to being left.

This hand-off is merely one in a series of hand- offs they must endure. Chapter 10 Maya and Bailey live with their maternal grandparents for about six months before they move in with their mother. They are given plenty to eat, have their own room, and wear store bought clothes. Before long, Maya's fears about being in St. Louis vanish and are replaced by the fear that she will be sent back to Stamps, away from her mother.

She tries to be on her best behaviour so she will not irritate anyone, especially not Vivian. Grandmother Baxter is a quadroon, which means she is of mixed race but largely white. Raised by a German family in Cairo, Illinois, she came to St. Louis to study nursing. While working at the hospital, she met and married Grandfather Baxter. The two of them are opposites. Grandmother Baxter is extremely light skinned and speaks with a throaty German accent; Grandfather Baxter is very dark skinned and has the choppy speech associated with West Indians.

Both of them are devoted to the family, which includes their six children and their dog. Grandmother Baxter is an important figure in the community. She is a precinct captain and has "pull" with the police department. The local numbers runners, gamblers, lottery takers, and whiskey salesmen all come to her for favours. She usually manages to have bails reduced and to take the heat off gambling parlours.

In return, she expects those that she has helped to bring in votes during the elections. Maya and Bailey are shocked at the life they see in St. Louis, which is completely different than Stamps. They witness drinking, gambling, and all manner of Biblical violations, which are practiced so freely it is hard for Maya and Bailey to believe they are watching illegal activities. Maya and Bailey also learn about some of the finer things in life. They are given all kinds of treats to eat, like thin-sliced ham and jellybeans.

They are sent to a real school, where they are amazed at its vastness and the formality of its teachers. In their primness, Maya thinks the teachers are talking down to her and the other students. Since both Maya and Bailey read well and are very good at arithmetic, they are moved up one grade. Acting like his father, Bailey shows off his intelligence and makes the other children feel inferior. He and Maya both lose the habit of saying "Yes ma " am" and "No ma " am" to their elders and learn to say "Yes" and "No" instead.

Vivian, whom they call "Mother Dear", is a free-spirited woman. Maya and Bailey sometimes find her at Touie's, a tavern owned by two Syrian brothers. The children are allowed into the tavern and are given soft drinks and boiled shrimp. They learn to dance and are known as "Bibbie's darling babies".

Vivian's brothers, Tom, Tutti, and Ira, are also well known around town. Maya remarks that Grandfather Baxter raised the boys to know that if they were ever arrested for stealing, he would let them rot in jail; however, if they were ever jailed for fighting, he would sell everything he owned to get them out. Brought up with this kind of encouragement, the brothers have become fearsome characters; only the youngest, Billy, has not joined them in their misadventures Maya loves her uncles and is thrilled by their meanness. Her favourite is Uncle Tommy, who often tells Maya that even though she is not pretty, she is very smart, which is preferable to beauty. Although he can be gruff, Tommy chews his words so that even his ordinary sentences sound like poetry. He is also a natural comedian.

Maya feels the binding quality of Baxter blood. The closeness comes naturally without being taught. Bailey, at the age of three, was displeased at Maya's inability to walk and took it upon himself to teach her. He announced, "This is my sister. I have to teach her to walk". Bailey was also the one who gave her the nickname of Maya.

He refused to call her Marguerite; instead he named her "My a Sister", which later became Maya. Notes In this chapter Maya describes the family with whom she finds herself after her father's reappearance and subsequent desertion. Her grandmother is a total opposite of Momma, who was a Bible- quoting Fundamentalist. In contrast, Grandmother Baxter is a political wheeler-dealer with ties to questionable characters. She and her husband have raised six children. Three of the boys are well known as tough characters.

Maya and Bailey find the black section of St. Louis a total contrast to the quiet town of Stamps. There is so much crime around them in Missouri that they almost forget that they are witnessing illegal activities. They are also allowed to go into Touie's tavern, where they learn to dance. The food is also very different.

In Arkansas, the children used to cure their own meat and eat half-inch slabs of ham; in St. Louis they eat paper-thin slices of ham on thick black German Boot (bread). In Stamps, lettuce was used as a bed for salad, and peanuts were eaten roasted; in St. Louis lettuce is used in sandwiches, and peanuts are eaten mixed with jellybeans. Maya sums up the entire experience of St. Louis as some good and some bad, "salt and sugar together". After several months of living with their grandparents, Maya and Bailey go to live with their mother, whom Bailey calls "Mother Dear". It is clear that he is crazy about her.

Maya also sees her mother as unreal and godlike. Both children try to be on their best behaviour so that they will not be sent back to Stamps. Chapter 11 Bibbie (Vivian) provides for Maya and Bailey with the help of Mr. Freeman, who lives with her. Since he has a job with the Southern Pacific Railroad, he furnishes the provisions for everyone, while she earns extra money by playing poker. Mr. Freeman is undemanding and expects nothing but attention from Bibbie, whom he seems to idolize. He anxiously waits for her to come home every day.

Although Maya does not really miss being in the fundamentalist town of Stamps, she never grows accustomed to St. Louis and the noises of Caroline Street. To escape from the real world, she spends her time in the make-believe world of fiction books. She and Bailey also read flashy magazines, which affect their imaginations. Bailey begins to stutter, and Maya has nightmares. Bibbie, in her feeble attempt at motherhood, allows Maya to sleep in her bed in an attempt to ward off the nightmares.

One morning after her mother has left, the eight-year-old Maya wakes to find Mr. Freeman pressing himself against her. Maya is too na " ive to understand what is happening as her mother's boyfriend relieves his sexual desires against her body. She thinks Mr. Freeman is dying in his moment of sexual ecstasy. Then when he holds her, she feels loved. When he rolls over and accuses her of making the wet place on the bed, she is confused and ashamed, knowing she has not wet the bed. She hopes this does not mean he will stop holding her.

Then Mr. Freeman threatens her, stating that if she tells on him he will kill Bailey. The incident with Freeman is the first thing Maya has ever kept from Bailey, but she does not tell him what has happened because of Mr. Freeman's threats. Maya also finds herself wanting to be close to Mr. Freeman, for he is the first person who has ever showed her physical affection. One day she goes to him and sits on his lap. When he pulls her to his chest, she thinks his heart is beating for her. He moves her around on his lap then runs to the bathroom.

For months, Mr. Freeman ignores Maya, which makes her feel lonely. Then she forgets about what has happened, and the memory of his holding her melts into the "general darkness just beyond the great blinkers of childhood". She gets a library card and slips into a world of fiction away from Bailey, her grandparents, and her uncles. Notes Vivian (Bibbie) has no idea how to be a good mother. She is incapable of nurturing Maya or meeting her needs. She pays the children little attention and never shows them any physical affection.

Bibbie also allows Mr. Freeman to provide for the children, and she entertains herself playing poker, making some extra money on the side. Suffering from a sense that she does not belong anywhere, Maya never thinks of St. Louis as home. She convinces herself that "I didn't come to stay", proof of her constant feeling that her life is temporary. To escape from her real world, Maya takes refuge in reading fiction and flashy magazines; but being young and impressionable, both she and Bailey are affected by the inappropriate things that they read. He begins to stutter, and she has nightmares. Her mother, in order to comfort her, takes her daughter into the sanctity of her bed; however, her weak attempt at motherhood places the young girl in danger.

When Vivian is not around, Mr. Freeman takes advantage of Maya, relieving his sexual desires against her. Maya misinterprets Mr. Freeman's sexual attraction toward her as fatherly love. She is confused about what has happened, but she longs for outward signs of being loved. Mr. Freeman's threats alienate Maya from Bailey, the one person to whom she feels connected.

For the first time in her life, she keeps a secret from her brother. Feeling more isolated than ever, Maya longs for attention from Mr. Freeman. She innocently sits on his lap, like a daughter will do with her father. He is immediately aroused and has to go to the bathroom to relieve himself. After this second incident, Mr. Freeman begins to avoid Maya. To fight her loneliness, she loses herself in books that she checks out on her new library card.

Since she always identifies with the good, strong heroes who win in the end, she longs to be a boy herself. Chapter 12 One Saturday, Maya's mother has failed to come home from the previous night, which is a common occurrence. Mr. Freeman, obviously upset, asks Maya to go and buy some milk. When she returns, he calls her to him, and Maya sees his "thing" out of his pants. She tries to back away, but he holds her between his knees. He threatens her not to scream as he turns the radio on very loud.

Mr. Freeman proceeds to rape her and to repeat his threat to kill Bailey if she tells anyone. Maya faints from the pain. When Maya awakes, Mr. Freeman seems somewhat afraid of what he has done. He cleans her and tells her to go to the library. She tells him she is tired and needs to rest, but he makes her go.

In the library she has trouble sitting on the hard seats because, as she says, "they had been constructed for children". Back at home, Maya hides her stained underwear under the bed and goes to sleep. Her mother comes home, and she and Mr. Freeman argue. The next day he moves out. Maya spends the day in bed thinking she is going to die. She often calls for Bailey to make certain that he is still all right.

When Vivian and Bailey try to change her bed linens, she refuses to be moved. Vivian picks up the struggling Maya, and Bailey begins to change the soiled sheets. In the process, he dislodges Maya's stained underwear, which fall at Vivian's feet. Notes Maya, starved for physical and paternal love, has fantasized that Mr. Freeman is her real father.

Unfortunately for her, his affectionate overtures are far from fatherly. When no one else is around, he plans his attack on young Maya. He waits for her to return from buying milk with his privates exposed. When she enters the house, he calls her close.

When Maya tries to back away, he grabs her between his knees and threatens to kill her if she screams. Maya, filled with comic book fantasies, imagines that the Green Hornet will come to her rescue. As he makes his moves, Mr., Freeman reminds Maya that she had liked what they did before. A frightened Maya tells him they had only been playing. Threatening to kill Bailey if she tells what is happening, he then rapes her. Maya faints from the shock and the pain.

When she wakes, she finds Freeman slightly afraid of what he has done. The next morning Vivian informs Maya that Mr. Freeman has moved out; but the threat of her violator still looms large. Thinking that God is angry with her and fearing for the safety of herself and those she loves, Maya does not have the courage to tell her mother what has happened to her. In addition to being in pain, she is so afraid that Freeman will hurt Bailey or her mother that Maya becomes physically sick. She spends the day sweating in bed and calling out to Bailey to make certain that he is all right.

In the end, Maya's efforts to keep the rape a secret are futile. Her mother and brother both see her stained underwear that she had tried to hide under the bed. The truth is obvious. Chapter 13 The eight-year-old Maya is taken to the hospital. There Bailey begs Maya to tell him who raped her so that the man does not do it to anybody else.

When Maya explains that the man has threatened to kill Bailey if she tells anyone, he assures her that he will not let that happen. Maya then tells him everything. Hearing the story, Bailey breaks down and cries. Then using the "old brain he was born with", he tells Grandmother Baxter what has happened. Mr. Freeman is soon arrested, and Maya is sent home. She would have liked to stay in the hospital forever because of the kind treatment given to her by her mother, Bailey, and the nurses.

During Mr. Freeman's trial, the court is full of people, who are there only because they crave for excitement. Many of Grandmother Baxter's clients are present. The gamblers are also there in their pinstriped suits and with their painted women, who tell Maya that now she knows as much as they do. Maya is clearly frightened. When the defence attorney questions her about her past contact with Freeman, she is afraid to tell the truth. She worries about what her mother and Bailey might think of her; therefore, she lies about what has happened previously and screams at Mr. Freeman, hating him for the lies she must tell.

When Maya bursts into tears, Vivian takes her into her arms. Mr. Freeman is given a sentence of a year and a day. Unfortunately, he is released on bail the same afternoon as his sentence. In the evening, a policeman comes to the Baxter household to inform them that Mr. Freeman has been found dead behind the slaughterhouse. He was apparently beaten to death. Maya is shaken by the news and tries not to blame herself.

She thinks that "one lie surely wouldn't be worth a man's life". After hearing the news of Freeman's death, Grandmother Baxter warns the children to never speak that "evil man's name" or mention the situation again. Maya begins to believe that if she speaks to anyone, the evil within her will cause him or her to die; therefore, she refuses to talk to anyone but Bailey. The family accepts Maya's "perfect personal silence" as a post-rape, post- hospital affliction; but after the doctor pronounces her cured, she still refuses to speak to anyone but her brother. Everyone begins to say that Maya is impudent and sullen and to claim that "there is nothing more appalling than a constantly morose child". It is not long before Maya and Bailey are sent back to Stamps.

Maya never knows if Momma has called for them or if the St. Louis family has simply tired of Maya's grim presence. Bailey is heartbroken for having to leave his "Mother Dear". Not caring where she lives, Maya is only concerned about Bailey's unhappiness. Notes In the hospital, Bailey tries to convince Maya to tell him the truth about the rape. She explains that she can say nothing, for the man who has raped her has threatened to kill her brother if she talks. After Bailey assures Maya that he will not let that happen, she tells him the whole story.

Bailey is so touched by her tale that he breaks down and cries. He then tells the story to Grandmother Baxter. Before long, Mr. Freeman is arrested. The rest of this tragic chapter shows how Maya blames herself for a situation in which she bears no blame.

The defence attorney for Freeman tries to make it seem as if Maya is culpable for encouraging the sexual contact between her and Freeman. Fearing what her mother and Bailey will think of her, Maya is afraid to tell the truth about Freeman's previous sexual advances. As a result, she lies and then screams at Freeman calling him a "dirty old thing". Partially due to Maya's silence, Freeman is given a light sentence and released on bail the same afternoon. When the police arrive at the Baxter house to report the death of Freeman, it is not surprising. There is no way that Maya's tough uncles would let this rapist freely walk the streets.

Unfortunately, Freeman's death only makes things worse for Maya. She blames herself for his murder, thinking her lie has caused the killing. As a result, she retreats into self-imposed silence, talking only to Bailey. She believes that if she talks to anyone, her very breath may kill the person. Tragically, the family responds to her self- inflicted neurosis by punishing her for her impudence and unacceptable moroseness. Maya feels more isolated and alone than ever.

When he children are returned to Stamps, Bailey is heartbroken to be leaving his mother. Maya, however, is so emotionally drained that she does not care where she lives. Used to being shuffled around and feeling unwanted, she only worries about Bailey unhappiness. Chapter 14 After the noise and activity of St. Louis, the stillness of Stamps is exactly what Maya wants and needs. She comfortably climbs into its cocoon of comfortable numbness. Momma and Uncle Willie are happy to have the children back, but Maya is disturbed by Uncle Willie's sympathy.

She often catches him looking at her with pity, and she hates thinking that he knows her dirty secret. The inhabitants of Stamps often come to see Mrs. Henderson's grandchildren, for they have heard that Maya and Bailey have been on a glamorous trip way up north. Although Maya remains silent, Bailey weaves an intricate tapestry of entertainment for the curious visitors. The people of Stamps accept Maya's unwillingness to talk as a natural outcome of a reluctant return to the South. Judging Maya to be a "tender-hearted" person, they understand her and forgive her behaviour. Maya worries about her own sanity.

She feels that she can no longer think straight. Familiar faces have become hazy, and familiar people have become strangers. Notes Maya welcomes the quiet and undemanding nature of Stamps and its inhabitants. Momma Henderson welcomes her back with open arms, and Uncle Willie gives her looks of pity, which make Maya feel uncomfortable. She wishes that no one knew her dirty secret.

The people of Stamps all want to come and see Maya and Bailey and to hear about their glamorous trip up north. Bailey entertains them with wild, sometimes sarcastic, stories filled with double entendre's that his audience does not understand. In contrast, Maya says nothing. The kind people of Stamps forgive her silence, claiming that she is simply saddened by her return to Arkansas. Bailey truly understands Maya's withdrawal, just as she understands his frustration at being taken away from St. Louis. He is her only link with sanity and reality, both of which she fears are slipping away from her.

Chapter 15 Nearly a year passes with Maya moping around the house like an " old biscuit, dirty and inedible". Then she meets Mrs. Bertha Flowers. She and Momma are close friends, separated only by refinement and formal education. Mrs. Flowers is an aristocrat among the blacks who inhabit Stamps. She wears printed voile dresses, flowered hats, and white gloves. She is one of the few gentlewomen Maya has ever known and remains a measure of what a human being should be throughout the rest of Maya's life.

One afternoon Mrs. Flowers asks Maya to walk her home, instead of Bailey. Maya is proud and excited about being her escort. She changes into a dress in order to look presentable for Mrs. Flowers. Seeing the dress, Mrs. Flowers praises Momma's sewing skills. Momma promptly orders Maya to disrobe in front of Mrs. Flowers so that she can see the inner seams of the dress.

Maya is terribly humiliated by having to undress in front of the woman that she greatly respects. On the way to her house, Mrs. Flowers talks to Maya about the importance of words in people's lives. She tells her that "language is man's way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language, alone which separates him from the lower animals". She also tells Maya that reading is good, but words alone are not good enough. "It takes the human voice to infuse them with the shades of deeper meaning". She offers to lend Maya some of her books to read and encourages her to read them out loud.

Inside Mrs. Flowers' house, Maya is greeted by the scent of vanilla. She is surprised by the smell, for she has never associated Mrs. Flowers with common experiences, like cooking. But Mrs. Flowers has made cookies and lemonade for Maya. While she eats them, Mrs. Flowers presents her "lessons in living" to Maya. She explains that experience is just as important as education. She also advises Maya to listen carefully to what country people call "mother wit".

After leaving the home of Mrs. Flowers, Maya runs home and is greeted by Momma and Bailey. She eagerly tells Bailey that Mrs. Flowers has sent cookies for him. She also listens as Momma, seeming somewhat angry, asks questions about what was said at Mrs. Flowers' house. When Maya says "by the way". Momma considers them blasphemous words. She immediately kneels down and prays to the Lord to forgive Maya.

When Bailey tells her that white folks use the phrase all the time, Momma tells them both that white folks' words are often loose and, therefore, an abomination before Christ. Notes The meeting with Mrs. Flowers marks the beginning of a transformation in Maya. Through Mrs. Flowers, her academic and spiritual awakening begin. Although Momma humiliates Maya by making her disrobe in front of the refined Mrs. Flowers, she still enjoys her visit with her kind new friend. She listens carefully as Mrs. Flowers explains the importance of oral communication. She also hears all of her advice about living.

It is a sad irony that on a day when Maya is given a new lease on life, Momma punishes her for an accidental error. Maya uses the phrase "by the way", which she has picked up from the white folks. Momma, the fundamentalist, considers only Christ to be "the way". Therefore, anything else that is "by the way" is blasphemous to her, and she will not tolerate her grandmother talking in such a manner. Chapter 16 The narrator begins this chapter with an exposition on the upbringing of young black girls of Maya's generation. They are expected to learn mid-Victorian values, such as setting a proper table and baking, though they have neither the means nor the money to practice these values.

Despite her poverty, Maya masters the arts of crocheting and tatting. She makes so many dishtowels, pillowcases, and handkerchiefs that she fills a trunk with her handiwork. Maya is ten years old when she is sent to the home of Mrs. Cullinan, an unattractive white woman, to learn how to become a domestic. Mrs. Cullinan's maid is Miss Glory, a descendant from a line of slaves who had always worked for the Cullinan family.

Hardworking and knowledgeable about how to manage a home and keep it immaculately clean, Miss Glory becomes Maya's patient tutor. She teaches the girl about cleaning, cooking, cutlery, and kitchenware. She also shares with Maya the details of Mrs. Cullinan's life. Glory tells Maya that Mrs. Cullinan cannot have children. Bailey later tells Maya that Mr. Cullinan has two daughters by a black lady. Maya can picture the faces of these unknown daughters but she has trouble picturing Mr. Cullinan even though she sees him everyday.

For a while, Maya has great sympathy for the childless Mrs. Cullinan and works doubly hard to please her. She arrives early for work and leaves late. Then, however, Mrs. Cullinan calls her "Margaret" instead of "Marguerite", which greatly upsets Maya. Mrs. Cullinan's friend then suggests that she shorten her name to Mary. Maya ignores the request, but the next day Mrs. Cullinan calls her "Mary". Maya is so upset by her audacity that she finds it hard to work.

Miss Glory tries to calm her down by telling Maya that her own name was changed from "Hallelujah" to the much shorter "Glory". Maya wants to quit the job at the Cullinan, but has no valid explanation to give Momma. In reaction to her unhappiness, she begins to come late and leave early. She leaves the dishes dirty and does not shine the silver, hoping that Miss Glory will complain to her mistress.

Nothing happens. When Maya explains the situation to Bailey, he gives her an idea, which she acts upon. The next time Mrs. Cullinan calls her "Mary", Maya breaks her favourite casserole dish and two of her glass cups. Horrified at losing her mother's chinaware, Mrs. Cullinan falls to the floor and cries, while trying to pick up the shards of broken glass. When her friend asks if "Mary" broke the chinaware, Mrs. Cullinan screams out that her name is "Margaret". In her anger, the friend throws a piece of glass at Maya, but it misses her and hits Miss Glory.

Maya walks out of the house and away from the horrifyingly comic scene, leaving the door open wide so the neighbours can see the chaos inside. Notes In this chapter, the young Maya displays a strong sense of self- worth and pride in herself, in spite of the tragedy that befell her earlier. By the end of the chapter, she reveals that she will not let anyone trample upon her. As custom demands Maya, like other black girls in small Southern towns, is given extensive and irrelevant preparations for adulthood. She is taught to properly set a table, to bake fancy things, to crochet, and to tat. Then during her tenth year, she is apprenticed to Miss Glory, Mrs. Viola Cullinan's maid.

In the Cullinan kitchen, she works hard to learn to cook, clean, and manage a household. She also learns to stand up for her own identity. Mrs. Cullinan's friend suggests renaming Maya, after deciding "Margaret" (which is the wrong name in the first place) is too long. The friend calls her Mary, which Maya ignores.

The next day, however, Mrs. Cullinan also calls her Mary, which greatly upsets Maya. She reacts by wanting to quit her position; however, she is afraid to tell Momma why she has quit. As a result, Maya, with Bailey's help, decides to end her position with Mrs. Cullinan by sabotaging it. When Mrs. Cullinan calls her Mary once again, she intentionally breaks some of her fine dishes. The resulting chaos is comic to the reader and fulfilling to Maya. The reader is also meant to be pleased that Maya has stood up for her rights and is brave enough to leave the door open for others to see the chaos inside when she leaves the house for the last time.

Chapter 17 This chapter begins with Maya taking a nostalgic look at her childhood. She recalls playing mumbletypeg around the chinaberry tree, eating peanut patties, and spending Saturdays scrubbing floors or shining shoes. When Momma starts giving her a weekly allowance of ten cents, Maya gives her money to Bailey, who buys books for her to read. Bailey uses any extra money to go to the movies, where he must sit in the "collared balcony". Bailey has not adjusted well to being back in Stamps. He is usually quiet and dejected although he does not say what troubles him.

One Saturday, Bailey fails to come home before sundown. Always worried about white prejudice, racist violence, and the possibility of a lynching, a concerned Momma takes Maya and goes to look for him. When they find Bailey, he looks miserable, but he has no excuses to offer. When they arrive at home, Uncle Willie gives him a whipping with a belt.

Maya hears Bailey saying a prayer. That night Bailey tells Maya about an actress named Kay Francis, whom he has seen in a movie. Since she reminds him of "Mother Dear", he wants to take Maya to see her in the next movie that comes to town. After viewing Kay Francis a couple of months later, Maya agrees that the white actress almost looks like her mother's twin. She is happy to have watched her on the screen, but she notices that Bailey is again morose. On the way home, Bailey gives her a real scare.

When he sees a train approaching, he tries to catch a ride on it, for he wants to go to California and find his mother. Unsuccessful in his attempt, he is almost hit by the train. Maya relates that a year later Bailey boards a train for California to find his "Mother Dear". He winds up stranded in Baton Rouge, helplessly alone.

Notes Things are not the same when the children return to Stamps. The store seems like a "strange country", and everyone behaves like "newly arrived immigrants". Bailey, in particular, seems miserable. He acts like his soul has flown away. It is obvious that he misses his mother terribly. One Saturday, when he does not come home before dark, Momma and Maya go to look for him.

When they find him, he has no excuses for worrying them. At home Uncle Willie punishes him for his behaviour. That night Bailey tells Maya what is troubling him. He has seen a movie starring an actress who looks just like "Mother Dear". Two months later, he takes Maya to see a movie starring the same actress, named Kay Francis. Maya agrees that the white starlet is almost a double of their mother.

Maya understands why Bailey did not share his secret with Momma or Uncle Willie. There is not enough of Mother Dear to go around, and neither Momma nor Uncle Willie would understand Bailey's reaction to seeing her double. After the movie, Maya is happy, but Bailey seems miserable. He is then almost killed when he runs in front of a train, trying to catch it. Maya thinks of the time nearly a year later that Bailey does catch the train to go looking for "Mother Dear" in California. He winds up stranded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Chapter 18 In this chapter, Maya painfully describes the hopeless and tired faces of the black workers of Stamps. They have drooping shoulders and swollen feet, and they have grown so used to leftovers that they prefer them to freshly cooked food. In spite of the difficulty and poverty of their lives, they thank the Lord for what they have and entertain themselves by attending revival meetings. Maya refers to them as "a race of masochists", fated not only to live a poor and rough life but to like it. Maya describes a tent revival in which the elders of different churches bring their congregations together under one makeshift roof to praise the Lord. For the most part, it is a joyful gathering, even though the different congregations possess their own peculiar snobberies.

Teenagers enjoy themselves, for they take the revival meetings as an opportunity to court the opposite sex. The younger children, who are baffled about praising the Lord in a tent, act like they are attending a country fair. Gathered in the tent, the cares of the world pass by them. "Let the whitefolks have their money and power and segregation and sarcasm and big houses... let them have their whiteness.

It was better to be meek and lowly, spat upon and abused for this little time than to spend an eternity frying in the fires of hell". Notes This chapter is beautiful with its detailed descriptions and gracious in its appeal. Angelou's words are carefully intertwined with "soul food" from the Bible, words that offer hope and justice for the faithful. She succeeds in capturing the spirit of southern black religious fervour with some humour, some scepticism, and a lot of affection. Although her fellow blacks in Stamps are poor and world-weary, they always keep the faith. She finds it ironic that "the meanest life, the poorest existence is attributed to God's will, but as human beings become more affluent, as their living standard and style begin to ascend the material scale, God descends the scale of responsibility at a commensurate rate".

The faithful black people of Stamps love to gather for tent revivals, where they praise the Lord. As the preachers talk the need to be charitable and about the fairness of heaven, the troubles of the segregated world outside the tent pass away. But once outside the tent, they spy the white folk, and reality quickly comes back to haunt them. As they walk towards home, they all wonder when their Promised Land will come. Chapter 19 This chapter opens on the night of a championship fight.

Momma's store is crowded with people listening to the radio with a personal interest, as if Joe Louis were a brother or a father. Maya thinks that the men act like their entire existence depends on Louis' victory. In truth, they are counting on the black fighter to help dispel the notion of black inferiority. Fortunately for them, Louis lives up to their expectations by winning. After his victory, the men in Momma's store rejoice and celebrate the fact that Joe Louis has proven that blacks are not always inferior to whites. They are not, however, eager to travel to their homes, for "it wouldn't do for a Black man and his family to be caught on a lonely road on a night when Joe Louis had proved that (they) were the strongest people in the world".

Notes This chapter is about identification. The narrator compellingly addresses the need of the blacks, who have been losers for so long, to identify with a winner. If Jo Louis had lost, it would have meant, in the minds of the black men, the fall of their race. It would mean "another lynching, yet another Black man hanging on a tree. One more woman ambushed and raped. A Black boy whipped and maimed.

It was hounds on the trail of a man running through slimy swamps. It was a white woman slapping her maid for being forgetful". Chapter 20 Opening with a childhood rhyme, Maya describes a picnic to which all the churches have been invited. It is a grand gathering. The women get a chance to show off their culinary skills, bringing fried chicken, salads, homemade pickles, country hams, sponge cakes, and chocolate cakes. At the picnic, they fry fish and barbecue spareribs.

By the pond, proven fishermen and amateurs pull struggling fish from the swift water. Bailey and Maya carry in watermelons and ice them down in a large tub. Maya feels awkward because of her age. She does not want to mix with the children, but she is still too young to be considered one of the women.

When she needs to use the bathroom, she does not know whether to choose the one for women or for children. Unable to decide, she chooses neither and finds a secluded place for herself under a walnut tree. To Maya's delight, Louise Kendricks, a girl from her school whom she secretly admires, comes up and sits beside her. After sharing in a game, the girls hold hands and spin around until dizziness overcomes them. Then they fall down laughing. After the picnic, Louise becomes Maya's first and best friend.

They spend lots of time together and even try to learn the Tut language. Her relationship with Louise causes Maya to act like a child for the first time in a very long time. One day at school Maya receives a note from Tommy Valdon, an eighth grader who asks her to be his valentine. Maya, afraid of advances from the opposite sex, shows the note to Louise, and they decide that she should ignore it. On Valentines Day, Maya's class exchanges gifts and cards.

Maya receives another letter from Tommy, her admirer. She decides that Tommy is not much of a threat and that she should be nice to him; however, every time she sees him, she nervously giggles. Eventually Tommy loses interest. Notes This chapter of Maya's life is important, for it gives her a chance to be a child and relegate her past to the back of her mind. The summer picnic forces Maya to think about who and what she is. Fortunately, Louise Kendricks enters her life and helps Maya to be a child.

Maya also takes her first tiny steps toward the opposite sex. When Tommy Valdon takes an interest in her, Maya begins to believe that someone could like her without wanting to hurt her. Chapter 21 Bailey is not quite eleven when he is introduced to the adult world of sex. He develops a game called "Momma and Poppa" in which Maya plays "Baby".

She keeps watch while he takes a girl into his makeshift tent. The girls pull up their dresses, and Bailey wiggles his hips in pretence of sex. Six months into the game, Bailey meets Joyce, an orphaned country girl who has come to live with her aunt in Stamps. Joyce is fifteen, and Bailey a dmi.