BLOG 22

Neither Momma nor Vivian ever discussed the facts of life with Ms. Angelou, leaving her with questions she is afraid to ask. The result of this is that Ms. Angelou conducts her own research and draws her own faulty conclusions. This is a dangerous thing to do, as Ms. Angelou becomes confused and disillusioned about intimacy, and ends up pregnant.

There are a lot of "what if" questions that can be drawn from this chapter. With a partner or by yourself, consider the following questions, and write your own opinions about them. CHOOSE AT LEAST FIVE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER. As a class, we will then review these questions and discuss the answers.

-What is the likelihood of Ms. Angelou becoming pregnant if Momma or Vivian had discussed the subject with her earlier?

It would be highly unlikely if she had a discussion with Vivian.

-What if Ms. Angelou had never been sexually abused? Could her pregnancy have happened anyway? Why or why not?

It could have still happened. She still would have experimented with sex even if she was not sexually abused.

-What if Bailey were still around for Ms. Angelou to confide? Would he have told her anything about this subject? Would it have made a difference to Ms. Angelou?

If Bailey were around she would have told him first. This is because they have such a strong bond as brother and sister. He would have told her about his experiences and educated Marguerite with what he knew. This discussion would have influenced Marguerite not to experiment with sex as soon as she did.

-What if Ms. Angelou was living in Stamps when she became pregnant? How would Momma have handled the pregnancy?

If Marguerite was in Stamps when she became pregnant and Momma was there, she would be devastated. It would break Momma's heart to know that her granddaughter was pregnant and unmarried. Most of all she would be sad the Marguerite didn't know exactly what was going on.

-What would happen to the baby's father if Ms. Angelou's uncles knew?

They would probably beat him up or kill him.

What if Marguerite was married to the father? What would everyone's reaction be like?

Everyone's reaction would have been different. They would have accepted it and not have been as upset with the news.

What if Marguerite opted for an abortion. How would Vivian act?

She would be disappointed that she went for the abortion because she is against them.