In the autobiography " I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", acclaimed author and poet Maya Angelou provides a personal and revealing look into her life, filled with astonishing events and decorated with colorful characters. Spanning from when she was a young child to the final chapter, which introduces Maya's newborn child, the incidents which make her life such an interesting one often demand courage. The author obviously acknowledges this, with her quote "One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.".
Of the three events or places in the novel that portray such courage, the first and foremost incident must be one of Maya's early memories. It is the one in which she describes Mama, her grandmother, being harassed in front of their house by a group of several white young women and children. Maya listens and watches in humiliation as Mama is slandered and insulted from inside the store. The white children call her by her first name, Annie, and at first try to imitate the way she stands and looks. Not satisfied, the oldest, a young woman, stands on her hands as the others stand back and spectate. Rather expectantly, it happens that the woman is wearing nothing under her dress. During this entire procession Mrs. Henderson continues to sing calmly, blatantly ignoring the group's attempts to phase her. Meanwhile, Maya considers shooting the white children, outraged at Mama's seemingly humiliating responsive behavior. "Why couldn't she have come inside the sweet, cool store when we saw them breasting in the hill (Angelou 32)?," Maya explains. It is not till later that she understands her act of utmost courage, refusing to back down to a group of children. By doing this Mama retains or even perhaps strengthens her dignity and pride.
Another instance in the novel that features a character exhibiting personal courage is when Maya fights to acquire a job at the local train station towards the end of the book.
