I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

Feeling lonely without Bailey, Maya decides that she needs to get a job to distract herself. She wants to be a streetcar operator, but her mother warns her that Black people are not allowed to work on streetcars. Because of the war, there is a more considerable demand for the workforce, and Maya decides to try her luck. She goes to the office of the Market Street Railway Company, but they refuse to schedule an interview with her. Nevertheless, Maya doesn’t give up and keeps requesting an interview, and only after three weeks of trying she is given an application to fill out. On it, Maya lies not only about her age because she is only sixteen but also about her work experience. Finally, she gets a job, and the company provides her with a blue serge suit. Thus, Maya becomes the first female Black streetcar operator in San Francisco.

Maya performs her work duties for a whole semester, and her mother fully supports her. Because of her new responsibilities, Maya now finds school classes boring and her peers childish. Vivian doesn’t mind her skipping school as long as Maya is honest with her about it and keeps her grades up.