Jersey Village High School/Lonestar College
The Autobiography of Malcom X Book Review
Megan Diese
Ms. Branch
U.S. History DC pd.2
3 May 2016 Malcolm X’s fight for black equality has been documented in his autobiography. This story of his life is presented through his first person narrative which only adds to his already strong voice. While growing up Malcolm learned a plethora of life lessons which he tried to spread up until his assassination. The Autobiography of Malcolm X shows through many themes, motifs, and symbols that importance of creating a world in which everyone is equal.
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska. During this time, the Midwest was full of violence and discrimination. Malcolm’s …show more content…
In prison, Malcolm decided to transform himself by converting to an Islamic religion promoted by the Nation of Islam, which had already converted a number of Malcolm’s siblings. Inspired by the newfound faith, Malcolm stops using drugs; he prays, reads voraciously, studies Latin and English, and joins the debate team in prison. The prison later released Malcolm on parole. Malcolm became very active in the Detroit temple of the Nation of Islam after moving in with his brother Wilfred Malcolm. He received permission to drop his last name, which a white slave owner gave to one of his ancestors. He adopts the “X” as his last name, using the letter to represent his African Ancestors lost names. Malcolm X soon begins meeting with Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam’s leader and starts rising quickly to the Nation’s first national minister from the rank of temple assistant in Detroit. Malcolm X become known throughout the United States as an advocate militancy and black equality. Soon after his rise in popularity, The Nation of Islam’s leaders began to resent and fear him despite his allegiance to their cause and they decide to suspend him from the organization. The …show more content…
Malcolm emphasizes how discrimination against blacks dehumanizes them. All of the white people surrounding Malcolm view him as less than human, and Malcolm’s need to change this opinion pushes him in his fight for racial equality. He experienced indirect racism in his younger years by his family and his school, who treated him in a different way from the other children because he is black. Although some of the people he encounters in school and his foster parents are nice to him, Malcolm still thinks these people only treat him respectfully to show how tolerant they all are. Malcolm then degrades many white people to serve as revenge for his own suppression. When he is in Boston, he exhibits his white girlfriend, Sophia, as a status symbol by seeing her as a desirable object that he owns. After many years of anti–white campaigning in the Nation of Islam, Malcolm encounters white-skinned people in Mecca who, in fact, treat him as an equal. Thus, he begins acknowledging the humanity of the
The Autobiography of Malcom X Book Review
Megan Diese
Ms. Branch
U.S. History DC pd.2
3 May 2016 Malcolm X’s fight for black equality has been documented in his autobiography. This story of his life is presented through his first person narrative which only adds to his already strong voice. While growing up Malcolm learned a plethora of life lessons which he tried to spread up until his assassination. The Autobiography of Malcolm X shows through many themes, motifs, and symbols that importance of creating a world in which everyone is equal.
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska. During this time, the Midwest was full of violence and discrimination. Malcolm’s …show more content…
In prison, Malcolm decided to transform himself by converting to an Islamic religion promoted by the Nation of Islam, which had already converted a number of Malcolm’s siblings. Inspired by the newfound faith, Malcolm stops using drugs; he prays, reads voraciously, studies Latin and English, and joins the debate team in prison. The prison later released Malcolm on parole. Malcolm became very active in the Detroit temple of the Nation of Islam after moving in with his brother Wilfred Malcolm. He received permission to drop his last name, which a white slave owner gave to one of his ancestors. He adopts the “X” as his last name, using the letter to represent his African Ancestors lost names. Malcolm X soon begins meeting with Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam’s leader and starts rising quickly to the Nation’s first national minister from the rank of temple assistant in Detroit. Malcolm X become known throughout the United States as an advocate militancy and black equality. Soon after his rise in popularity, The Nation of Islam’s leaders began to resent and fear him despite his allegiance to their cause and they decide to suspend him from the organization. The …show more content…
Malcolm emphasizes how discrimination against blacks dehumanizes them. All of the white people surrounding Malcolm view him as less than human, and Malcolm’s need to change this opinion pushes him in his fight for racial equality. He experienced indirect racism in his younger years by his family and his school, who treated him in a different way from the other children because he is black. Although some of the people he encounters in school and his foster parents are nice to him, Malcolm still thinks these people only treat him respectfully to show how tolerant they all are. Malcolm then degrades many white people to serve as revenge for his own suppression. When he is in Boston, he exhibits his white girlfriend, Sophia, as a status symbol by seeing her as a desirable object that he owns. After many years of anti–white campaigning in the Nation of Islam, Malcolm encounters white-skinned people in Mecca who, in fact, treat him as an equal. Thus, he begins acknowledging the humanity of the