After his trial, followed by his murder, Maya goes into her own personal seclusion and doesn't speak for years. She felt if she opened her mouth to speak that the whole world would be contaminated. Her decision not to speak reflected her inner struggles as well because she played upon this because she felt it was the only thing she could possibly control. (Bloom3 41).
By the end of Caged Bird, Maya is still nave in many ways but she overcame the hardships that were handed to her early on in life. While reading the book, ".the reader must deal throughout with the dual perspective of the child, growing to consciousness of herself and the limits of her world."" (Bloom3 81).
Maya's second autobiography, Gather Together In My Name is more harsh and gritty than Caged Bird. However the style she writes with is still skillfully crafted. "Angelou's prose is sculpted, concise, rich with flavor and surprise, exuding a natural .
confidence and command. The fault--since I have found one--lies more in the tone of the book. It is healthy, warm, and tough, winning our affection partly through its refusal to gloss over stupidities, mistakes, and cruelties."" (Sukenick AVL) She is deeply involved in prostitution and has a pimp. It is almost as if she had to reach the brink of destruction before the realized this was the wrong path for her to follow if she wanted a successful life for herself as well for her illegitimate son. (Bloom1 66).
In Gather Together, Angelou discusses the drug addiction of her loved ones. Her lover in the novel faces a major battle with drug addiction. She stays with him but inevitably returns to her mother after she realizes the harm she is placing herself in as well as her child. (Bloom1 40).
Also in Gather Together In My Name, Maya struggles in keeping a steady job to support her son.
