In the final chapters of I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, it explains Maya's coming to age. Maya falls asleep in a junk yard in an abandoned car and a group of teenagers acknowledge her when she wakes up. They tell her that she can join their "group" as long as she contributes. So she's ends up staying there for about a month. After, Maya goes to San Francisco and gets a job. She reads a book about lesbianism but mistakes it for a hermaphradite. She asks Vivian for clarification on everything going on in her body and Vivian confirms that all is well with her body. Maya starts to get interested in guys and knows that associating with them will not make her look like a lesbian anymore. Later, Maya gets pregnant and accepts all of the responsibilites that come along with it.
When reading about Maya's coming to age she says "I think so differently now, that I feel like I don't really even know myself." Personally, I can relate to that. When I was in high school, I had such an immature way of thinking. Once college started, petty little things didn't even phase me. My maturity was growing in me well. You focus more on the things that matter. Maya's independence and confidence grew as she got older. That's also what happened to me. I was able to do things on my own, confidentially. That is a very good feeling!