What is the author's style in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou?

Maya Angelou is a well known author and poet. Her command of the English language is clear in her other works. However, she writes this novel in a very simplistic way, with few overly advanced word choices. This allows the book to be accessible to a wide audience, including teen audiences. Although the content is at times violent, gruesome, and adult in content, Maya avoids overly descriptive passages that would make the book unreadable for teens. As the book is about her own struggle with her sense of self, her language choices allow the book to be understood by an audience who may desperately need to read it. Further, her work is highly emotional, with Maya holding very little back in terms of her own self worth issues and her struggle to fit in. This leads to a powerfully gripping book, and one that many can relate to, particularly those raised in racist or violent environments. Her strong faith in God, her positive attitude, and her overwhelming belief that in her life turned out well, in spite of or even because of her experiences, serves as a hopeful story.