The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is the story of Malcolm X, an African American male growing up in the United States in the mid-1900's. At this time in America prejudice and segregation were widespread and much a part of everyday life. Malcolm takes the reader through his experiences with American society, which rejects him. This rejection, along with the inferiority cast upon all Black Americans, forces these males to search for acceptance. They are forced to search for purpose in causes greater than single individuals. As the book shows, this is evident in Malcolm throughout his life and in the life of other African American males. The Autobiography shows how during this time in American history non-white males, treated as inferior and rejected by society, will search for acceptance into groups and ideological movements, which they feel are larger than the individual.
This is evident early on in the story as Malcolm tells of his father. His father found acceptance in religion. Being a preacher gave Reverend Little an outlet from a society, which viewed him as inferior. He found acceptance in his Church and in Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association. In these two organizations he found meaning and purpose in his life by spreading Christianity and the ideologies of Pan-Africanism. After his father's death Malcolm continued to be treated, as all African American were treated at the time, inferior. With his move to Boston started Malcolm's first real independence and his search for acceptance and a purpose. Meeting Shorty, who had found acceptance in the ghetto, lured Malcolm to begin his search there. He found acceptance as a hustler. With this, Malcolm began to s...
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...ves. He depended on it for membership in his organization. The part of Malcolm's life that most clearly demonstrates his separate searches for acceptance were his name changes. From Malcolm Little to Malcolm X signified him finding acceptance as a hustler and crime organizer and also as a leader in the Nation of Islam. Later, after his departure from the Nation of Islam, he changed from Malcolm X to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz signifying his new acceptance and purpose in his own organization, Muslim Mosque Inc. Similar searches were performed by all African American males in response to the rejection they felt in American society. What made Malcolm X great was a drive for not only acceptance and purpose but also to lead other African-American males that he knew shared his very same need of acceptance and purpose. He gave them their purpose: fighting for equality.