Summary of the movie. At a Glance "In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou recounts the story of her life up to the birth of her child. Though she faces many hardships in her life, including being raped and living in a junkyard, she's able to find love and happiness as a mother. A young Maya Angelou, then known as Marguerite Johnson, is raped by a friend of her mother's. This results in Marguerite being mute for five years.  Marguerite moves to San Francisco, where she makes history as the first black employee of the San Francisco streetcars.  In California, she begins to explore her sexuality and quickly becomes pregnant. At age 16, she gives birth to a son—an event Angelou describes as the best moment of her life."