The author's purpose in including this passage is to
Read the passage from "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."
Mrs. Bertha Flowers was the aristocrat of Black Stamps.
She had the grace of control to appear warm in the coldest
weather, and on the Arkansas summer days it seemed she
had a private breeze which swirled around, cooling her. She
was thin without the taut look of wiry people, and her printed
voile dresses and flowered hats were as right for her as
denim overalls for a farmer. She was our side's answer to
the richest white woman in town.
explain to the reader the way people dressed in Black
Stamps.
instruct the reader on the local customs in Black Stamps.
inform the reader of Mrs. Flowers's social position in
Black Stamps.
teach the reader how Mrs. Flowers's fashion affected
Black Stamps.