Getting To Know The Caged Bird

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able to understand Billy’s character. As in Billy Budd, Angelou uses dialect in her writings to enhance the tone of the book. “That’s right. You know, the children was readin’ me something th’ other day, Say folks dream about whatever was on their mind when they went to sleep.”(Pg. 158) Angelou quoted her “momma” [paternal grandmother], and allows the reader to feel a sense as if momma was really saying something to them; she brings momma to life.
As for the quote stated, Angelou uses what we consider to be African American slang, more formally known as “ebonics”, to personalize “momma”. In everyday English we use subject and verb agreement, however, Angelou does not by writing “the children was reading”, this type of dialect in Angelou’s autobiography personalizes many of the characters. The use of dialect also enhances the characterization of personalities of which are greatly noted in this ...

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