There are many obstacles that Maya Angelou has had to overcome throughout her life. However, she wasn't the only person affected in the whole story, but so were her family. Among all the challenges in their lives, the author still manages to tell the harsh and dramatic story of the lives of African Americans during a time of racism in the town of Stamps. In Maya Angelou's book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, she uses various types of language to illustrate the conflicts that arise in the novel. Among the different types of languages ​​used in the book, it uses literary devices and various types of figurative language. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou the author uses literary devices and figurative language to illustrate to the reader how racism creates obstacles for her family and herself and how they overcome them. One of the literary devices used by the author are metaphors. There are many examples of metaphors in the novel, however there are some that are quite intriguing. Racism was an obstacle that affected many characters and the author uses metaphors to illustrate the difficult period in their lives. An example of metaphor in the novel was the coincidence Uncle Willie encounters with Fuentes' racism in the boxing match: "My race groaned. It was our people falling. It was another lynching, yet another black man hanging from a tree. Another woman ambushes and rapes... This could be the end of the world. If Joe lost, we would be back in slavery and without help. It would be true, the accusations that we were just inferior human beings a little more in high of the monkeys It is true that we were stupid and ugly and lazy and dirty and, unfortunate and worst of all,...... middle of paper...... fact that he is an example among many others that i whites had towards African Americans. Dr. Lincoln's use of the symbol informs the reader of some of the harsh and mean opinions the many whites in the town of Stamps This symbol not only informs the reader of some opinions the whites had, but their treatments towards African Americans even if they have done them favors in the past. In I Know why the Caged Bird Sings the author uses many different literary devices and various examples of figurative language. The use of metaphors, images, similes and symbolism has a great effect. They are effective because they inform the reader of various important details needed to fully understand the story. The use of specific, different, and varied types of language illustrates to the reader the effect of racism on many characters in the novel.