Writers as Readers

When I read Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, I found it really easy to see what literal meaning to it. Obviously, a cage bird knows nothing other than singing. It does not have freedom, therefore, all it can do is sing. At least, that’s what we think its doing. We often think of singing as something that someone does when they are happy that helps them express what they feel. In reality, I think that the bird is screaming. It is isolated and alone. It longs to be somewhere other than in a cage. A bird doesn't belong in a cage. This all relates back to how we often think that people are okay even when they aren't. Just because someone is smiling, doesn't mean that they aren't going through something else in their head. We are so quick to over emphasize want we want to be true and we downplay the negatives although that can hurt us because we aren't seeing the truth and even if we are, we choose to not accept it and we go on living a lie. So, someone who hears a caged bird sing would probably think that the bird is singing out of happiness when it actually isn't. But I guess that’s just what I believe.

When it comes to dreams, I do think that they tell the truth about us. Instead of us telling the truth to everyone around us, our dreams allow us to be honest with ourselves even if we don’t want to be. I also think that our dreams warn us of what is going to happen in the future. I've often had dreams that actually end up happening in real life. Or I would have a dream and then I would find out what it could symbolize and then I would realize that it was relevant to what I experienced. A lot of my dreams have to do with me being in a lot of stress and although that sounds like a bad thing, I’m glad that my subconscious mind can be honest with me because I’m not very good at accepting how I feel.

 

I've always been a person that wasn't good at remembering every single thing that I probably should remember. But at the same time, I've always remembered things that were important to me. I can remember something that someone said to me five years ago but I sometimes forget my best friend’s birthday. I’m not good with names but I can probably remember that the person I’m thinking of has a problem when it comes to making eye contact when they’re talking to someone. I tend to forget the things I should remember and I always remember the insignificant things.