 Angelou's need for security for her young son motivates her choices in Singin' and Swingin ', especially her decision to marry Tosh Angelos. She feels a deep sense of guilt and regret when she has to leave her son to tour with Porgy and Bess, which prevents her from fully enjoying the experience. In spite of this, Singin' and Swingin 'has been called "a love song to Angelou's son". Just as she changes her name as the story progresses, so does Guy, who becomes an intelligent, sensitive boy in the pages of this book. As Guy grows, so does his mother; Hagen stated that this growth moves Angelou's story forward. When Angelou discovers how deeply their separation injures Guy, she leaves the Porgy and Bess tour before it ends, at great personal cost. By the end of the book, their bond is deepened and she promises never to leave him again. As Hagen states, Maya embraces the importance of motherhood, just as she had done at the end of her previous autobiographies.
