“When I Lay My Burden
Down”
by: Maya Angelou
Respect
ELA9
Literary Elements
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Biography—the story of someone’s life
written by someone else
Autobiography—the written story the
writer’s own life
Diary – a daily record, usually private,
esp. of the writer's own experiences,
observations, feelings, attitudes, etc.
Literary Elements
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objectivity – judgment based on observable
phenomena and uninfluenced by emotions or personal
prejudices
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we want a biography to be objective
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this requires research
we do not want the author’s prejudices to distort the selection
subjectivity – judgment based on individual personal
impressions and feelings and opinions rather than
external facts
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we want the writer to get personal and emotional
the writer’s prejudice will be evident
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Is this selection more objective or subjective? Why?
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Obviously, this selection is more subjective since she is telling about
her feelings about the events in her life.
Literary Elements
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bias – a particular tendency or inclination,
esp. one that prevents unprejudiced
consideration of a question; prejudice.
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What bias do you recognize in this selection?
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The bias is the false viewpoint that blacks are
inferior to whites no matter what the situation.
This is revealed by the girls and their treatment of
“Momma.”
Literary Elements
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imagery – language that appeals to one
or more of our senses—sights, hearing,
smell, taste, or touch
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Explain the idiom “cleanliness is next to
godliness.”
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Being clean is a good thing because the way
people perceive you is a large part of your
character.
Literary Elements
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metaphor – figure of speech that makes
a comparison between two unlike things,
in which one thing becomes another thing
without the use of the word like, as, than,
or resembles.
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List three metaphors from the text of the
story and explain them.
“I burst. A firecracker July-the-Fourth burst.” p.
360
 “Her face was a brown moon that shone on me.”
p. 361
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Literary Elements
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symbol – person, place, thing, or event
that stands for itself and for something
beyond itself as well
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What might the narrator’s final yard design
symbolize?
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It could symbolize the growth of her heart through
the infinite nature of love and the pain of life
through such experiences.
Selection Question, # 1
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Explain the importance of rules and order
in the narrator’s life as described in the
very beginning of the story.
The importance of rules and order in her
life emphasizes the contrast between her
family and that of the ‘powhitetrash’.
Selection Question, # 2
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Who owns the store and why is this significant
and/or ironic, given the setting and characters
in the story? (p. 358)
Maya’s grandmother owns the store and this is
ironic because she is a black woman who is
mistreated in her own store by small white
children, but cannot do anything about it
because of the culture of the time.
Selection Question, # 3
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How do the ‘powhitetrash’ differ?
The ‘powhitetrash’ are dirty, rude, and
ignorant. They misuse their position of
authority over ‘Momma’ since that is the
only sense of power they have.
Selection Question, # 4
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Why do the ‘powhitetrash’ children mock Momma?
Discuss the reasons why people would be so cruel to
another person. Why are children occasionally cruel to
an innocent adult?
Possibly, they are bored and want excitement, or they
have low status in society and want to feel superior to
someone; or they know that society’s unwritten rules
forbid Momma to lash back. Children may be cruel to
adults when they want to feel powerful or lash out at
authority or when they have no fear of consequences.
Selection Question, # 5
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List three examples of how the
‘powhitetrash’ show disrespect in the
store.
The ‘powhitetrash’ mess with the
products, they call Momma and Maya’s
uncle by their first names, and they
order them around as if they were grown
ups.
Selection Question, # 6
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List three responses the narrator has toward
the events that take place on Momma’s porch.
She wants to beg Momma to go inside and let
her handle them since she won’t get in much
trouble for lashing out, she is afraid for
Momma that she won’t be able to restrain
herself amidst the taunts of the girls, and she
wants to get the gun and shoot them.
Selection Question, # 7
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Why does Momma stand and take the
abuse from the children without
responding?
She takes the abuse because she doesn’t
want to stoop to their level. She faces the
abuse with integrity and pride and never
loses her dignity.
Selection Question, # 8
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Describe the narrator’s perspective. How
does she view Momma?
She views Momma as strong and
courageous, but feels pity for the abuse
she must endure.
Selection Question, # 9
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How do the ‘powhitetrash’ view Momma?
They view Momma as inferior to them,
regardless of the fact that they are below
her on all levels except society’s unwritten
caste system.
Selection Question, # 10
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What lesson does the narrator learn from
this scene?
One possible lesson that the narrator
learns from this scene is that sometimes
fighting back means not fighting at all—
that keeping one’s dignity is more
important than making someone pay for
their own ignorance.
Selection Question, # 11
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What does Angelou mean when she says
“Whatever the contest had been out front, I
knew Momma had won”? Do you agree? Why,
or why not?
Angelou may mean that the girls were trying
to get Momma to respond to their taunts in
order to get her in trouble, but because she
kept her cool and refused to stoop to their
level, she kept her dignity and proved that she
was the better person. Some people may
disagree and say that because the girls got
away with their behavior, Momma was not the
winner.
Selection Question, # 12
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During the incident, Momma doesn’t say a
word until the girls are leaving. What do
you imagine she is thinking? Why do you
think she thinks this way?
During the incident, Momma might be
thinking about disciplining the girls; or she
might be praying for self-control or
freedom from the girls taunts.
Selection Question, # 13
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Angelou says that when Momma sees the girls
approaching, she sags from the waist down
but from the top seems to be pulling for the
top of an oak tree. Exactly what does this
image make you see? What do you think
Momma is feeling?
The image that some people see is that of a
big, strong oak tree standing tall. Momma
may feel fear, sadness, anger, or pity.
Selection Question, # 14
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Angelou takes some time to tell us about what
is considered good behavior and courtesy in
her family. What was her purpose for doing
this? How does she want you to feel about
her family’s rules?
Angelou describes her family’s rules so that
readers can understand her shock and anger
at the girls’ behavior. She wants readers to
admire her family’s standards of behavior.