Angelou develops the universal idea that experiences teach through the use of personification. Angelou personifies the ground by the emphasis of opening up and swallowing her. When Maya is embarrassed by the informality of her grandmother to Mrs. Flowers, Maya says, “I waited for the ground to open up and swallow me”(79). Maya soon learns that no matter how educated Mrs. Flowers is she does not feel that you must be proper at all times. Soon Maya also realizes that Grandma Henderson and Mrs. Flowers have some form of equal respect for each other. Angelou again uses the stylistic element of personification when she personifies the world by

the emphasis of having doubts about continuing to revolve. When the dirty and rude po white trash kids come to the store and try to take advantage of Grandma Henderson, Maya said “The World had taken a deep breath and was having doubts about continuing to revolve”(25). Even though Maya is distressed and feels that her way of life is being spit on, she learns from Grandma that the less talk with white people even the po white trash, the better the situation will be. Angelou uses the stylistic element of personification a third time when she personifies the wind by the emphasis of it taking the shreds of paper. Soon after Maya learns that Tommy Valdon wants Maya to be his valentine she thinks he is evil like Mr. Freeman. Maya and Louise decide to rip up the note “Walking down the hill we minced the paper in a thousand shreds and gave it to the wind”(122). Although Maya will not learn a lesson from this until she is older, she has to realize that not everyone is bad and she must trust boys and men.

Maya learns that Bailey is growing up and becoming a man. She realizes that she has a minimal effect on his life.

Maya Angelou develops the universal idea that experiences teach by using the stylistic element of metaphors. Angelou compares Bailey to her kingdom come. Every time Maya is having a problem Bailey is there for her, “My pretty black brother was my kingdom come”(23). Maya learns that Bailey

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