Question

Read the following excerpt from Maya Angelou’s "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and answer the question. In cotton-picking time the late afternoons revealed the harshness of Black Southern life, which in the early morning had been softened by nature’s blessing of grogginess, forgetfulness and the soft lamplight. In at least 100 words, identify the tone, and discuss Angelou’s use of it in the above excerpt, including how it relates to her individual experience and personal perspective.

Answer 1

She means that being a black southerner sucked, but it sucked even worse in the hot summer afternoons, which were hot and humid and uncomfortable and by which time everybody had been working hard all day, than in the mornings, when it was more comfortable and people had just gotten out of bed and weren't completely awake and aware of their lousy situation in life.