In the book I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou, there are several women who play very important roles in Marguerite Johnson’s life and development. Marguerite had three women in her life that educated and provided her with useful skills, information, security, religion and love. Momma, Mrs. Flowers, and Ma’ Dear are mother figures in Marguerite’s life who provide her with the necessities and strength to help her through life, Momma taught Marguerite about religion and cleanliness and was a good role model when it came to being strong and powerful, Mrs. Flowers introduced and provided Marguerite with literature and Ma’ Dear who is Marguerite biological mother wasn’t with her as she was growing but she still played a very …show more content…

in Luptor 262).
Although Momma taught Marguerite the importance of religion cleanliness, and was a role model in Marguerite’s life by showing her how to be strong and powerful, Mrs. Flowers was the mother figure in Marguerite’s life that provided her with literature and education. Mrs. Flower’s is a classy, well educated woman who Marguerite looks up to; Marguerite says “When she [Mrs. Flowers] chose to smile on me, I always wanted to thank her. The action was so graceful and inclusively benign” (94). She admires Mrs. Henderson because she is educated, has class, and beauty. Mrs. Flowers helped Marguerite find her voice (passion for poetry and literature) by encouraging her to speak and read literature out loud. Mrs. Flowers had a big impact on Marguerites education as said by Don Swaim “Her teacher [Mrs. Flower’s] taught her [that] the only way to truly love poetry was to speak it. Reading poetry was how Angelou [Marguerite] found her voice”( Audio 1), Mrs. Flowers helped Marguerite find her love for literature and poetry, therefore strengthening her education.
Momma and Mrs. Flowers taught and gave Marguerite valuable skills and information that will help her through out her life but Ma’ Dear being her biological mother gave her motherly love. Ma’ Dear was not always around for Marguerite until she was about eight old. Marguerite was sexually abused