Question

Read the passage from “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” I have tried often to search behind the sophistication of years for the enchantment I so easily found in those gifts. The essence escapes but its aura remains. To be allowed, no, invited, into the private lives of strangers, and to share their joys and fears, was a chance to exchange the Southern bitter wormwood for a cup of mead with Beowulf or a hot cup of tea and milk with Oliver Twist. When I said aloud, "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done . . .” tears of love filled my eyes at my selflessness. What is the most likely reason author Maya Angelou included this passage?
to entertain the reader with references
to books to explain her viewpoint on the wonders of reading
to provide actions that show her personality traits
to persuade the reader of the benefits of the classics

Answer 1

A
Not correct. She could have been using references to anything. Not all her references are from literature. Southern Bitter Wormwood is a reference to the wormwood plant which is medicinal in nature and it is very bitter. 

C
Maybe. But there's a better answer. It's not her personality we are drawn to although it is quite bubbly if this passage is any kind of indication. It is the joy she takes in recognizing that Beowulf likes a good drink and he  wanted her to join him and she was delighted by the invitation.

D
She could have been talking about anything that engaged her. It just happened to be mostly about the classics.

B
This is the best answer. C and D are close, but it really is B that we are attracted to. We have our eyes opened to the grand people in books. More than that we feel her joy in Beowulf, her polite tea conversation with Oliver Twist, her astonishing acceptance of the meaning of Sydney Carton's statement at the end of a Tale of Two Cities. 

Answer 2

the answer is B)