“Malcolm X is born on May 19 1925 in Omaha Malcolm X was a prominent Black Nationalist leader who served as a spokesman for the nation of Islam during 1950’s and 1960’s”(Malcolm X). Malcolm X is considered a modern hero because of his leadership skills, the struggles and obstacles that he overcame in his life and the energy that he has put to give the African Americans freedom, and respect. Malcolm is a modern hero, likewise, Odysseus is an epic hero. An epic hero is a larger than life figure, who embodies a nation or race the hero usually goes to long and dangerous journeys and accomplish great deeds that require courage and bravery. Both Malcolm X and Odysseus are heroes because of there great leadership, struggles that they overcame, and the both embodies the ideals of a race or nation.
Malcolm X and Odysseus both overcame struggles in their lives. Odysseus experiences struggles when he is returning to Ithaca, Odysseus faces the lotus-eaters, the Cyclops and Poseidon. The Lotus Eater is friendly and hospitable but their plants they give to Odysseus’s men make the men unaware of what is happening therefore Odysseus rescues them and calls his men “all hand aboard; come, clear the beach and no one taste the lotus, or you’ll lose your hope of home”. The great Odysseus also faces the Cyclops who “caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out, spattering the floor”. Likewise, Malcolm X struggles in his early life; Malcolm and his family is forced to relocate twice before Malcolm is 4 years old because of Ku Klux Klan terrorists, burn his house and kill his father. When the police report incident they called it an accident. He tells his teacher that he wants to be a lawyer when he grows up but his teacher ...
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...cted as such, regardless of their color”(Gunderson 20).
Malcolm and Odysseus are both heroes one that lived before a thousand years ago and one who lived before about 40 years ago. Both are considered heroes from there known struggles that they had in their lives Malcolm struggle was in most of his life from his childhood until when he was shoot 16 times by The Nation of Islam members and Odysseus struggled tod go back to his country it took him 9 years until he returned to Greece where he saw bitter days. The great and wise Odysseus is a leader of a group in the Greek army when he fought his ways to victory and Malcolm is the leader of the Afro-American Unity that is non religious organization where only black people can be a member of the organization to spread peace, freedom and respect to all races and people around the world.
As seen throughout The Odyssey, a hero is perceived as a person who achieves great success never before seen and whose legacy lives beyond their years. Since The Odyssey was written around the eighth century BCE, the people that we view as heros in present day tend to embody different traits than the heroes of that time. Even though the word, “hero” does not have one specific definition, a hero is generally categorized as someone who is idolized for their bravery and does anything necessary to defend their people. Although Odysseus embodies the Homeric ideals of heroism in that he accomplishes triumphs that others have not, his successes are the product of divine intervention and his actions were primarily selfish; therefore, he is not a true
However, it was what happened in his life that made Malcolm X the man who people remember today. From a very early age, Little lived in fear of racism and hate groups, much of it rooting from his father’s murder by white supremacists. He was effectively orphaned by 13, as his mother was placed in a mental institution, and lived until he was 20 in several different foster homes. He was arrested for a crime and once released, went on to commit several crimes, including using and distributing drugs, etc. It was when he was imprisoned that he found the Nation of Islam, who helped him when he was released from prison to find a new life. From them, he was able to attain great oratory skills and create an environment when he spoke in which the people around him, white and black alike, felt empowered and equal. Once he discovered corruption and began to disdain the Nation of Islam, he became independent and was later assassinated. However, he along with MLK, were empowered by their stories, Malcolm’s being one of hatred, poverty, hope, and truth, that changed him to become a stimulus for African American equality in
First, Odysseus and Thor both suffer from their pride. This results in both Odysseus and Thor to suffering hardships that aids their charters to develop in positive ways. For instance, Odysseus encounter with the Cyclops. Odysseus’ crewmen suggest to their leader to take the cheese and livestock back to the ships and set sail. However, because of Odysseus’ pride they stay to see what their host would look like and to receive a guest gift. This cost Odysseus the life of six crewmen. Furthermore, Odysseus reveals his name to the Cyclops; after blinding him. Resulting in angering
Malcolm X Read an excerpt from the book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, by Malcolm X and Alex Haley. In this part of the book, Malcolm discusses his quest for knowledge. He starts off by telling us about how he wrote to his Harlem, hustler friends and told them all about Allah and Mr. Elijah Muhammad, the two main figures in the Islamic religion. He never got a single reply and figured it was because the average hustler and criminal couldn't read. He also thought that maybe they thought he had gone crazy, because after all he was writing to them about the devil; the white devil.
Malcolm X is an important figure in human history because he was a human rights activist and fought for equality among people. He was a proficient public speaker who spoke for minorities, mostly African Americans. By reading Malcolm X’s story, I visualize on how a man suffered from the effects of prejudice and his whole disposition was formed from it. I see how a very angry man stayed angry at the "white devils" f...
What is a hero? What is a leader? Both of these words could be used to describe Odysseus and Atticus Finch in their times and, maybe still could be described as a leader/hero. Odysseus who lived in Ancient Greek was the picture of a hero and leader in that time. He … . Atticus who lived in Alabama in the early-mid 1900’s, could also be classified as a hero of some sort but he seemed like more of a leader. He, … . Atticus from To Kill A Mockingbird, and Odysseus from The Odyssey both are leaders and Heros in their own way, they also have people surrounding them that question them, and also people that support them.
Malcolm X became one of the leading figures during the civil rights movement with his great ideas and speaking abilities. Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X led the Nation of Islam in the United States. The Nation existed as a growing organization and the government felt that it would turn into a violent association. The FBI became intensely interested in Malcolm after his joining with Elijah Muhammad and began to tap Malcolm X and try to find charges against him so he...
Malcolm X was a hero for his time and beyond. I believe that a true hero deviates from society, and follows his own compass. A hero fights against all odds, and makes new ones. He fights for more than his own struggles but the struggles of every single person, and for generations to come. Malcolm X was a hero in more ways than one. He was a true hero.
Later in 1937, Malcolm’s mother Louise, who never got over her husband’s death, was admitted into a mental institution. Malcolm and his other siblings were split up into various foster homes (Malcolm X bio, 2013). Youth Malcolm graduated junior high at the top of his class, with aspirations of being a lawyer, until a teacher told him that being a lawyer was “no realistic goal for a nigger,” suggesting that he be something practical, like a carpenter (J. Simon, 26).... ... middle of paper ...
Odysseus displays his desire for glory through his careless actions during his encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus. The desire for glory Odysseus displays is shown through the words he speaks to Polyphemus. He is a clever character but makes rash decisions that affect the outcome of his original goals and intentions. While Odysseus is trapped inside of the cave of the Cyclops, he begins to taunt Polyphemus. “I called back to the Cyclops, stinging taunts: So, Cyclops, no weak coward it was whose crew you bent to devour three in your vaulted cave—with your brute voice! Filthy crimes came down on your own head, you shameless cannibal” (Fagles, 226). Odysseus was insulting the Cyclops, and those insults caused the rage of the monster to boil over. The Cyclops was already angry with Odysseus blinding him, and was even more demoralized and angry when Odysseus began to taunt him. As Odysseus goes on with his insults and as his anger rises, he says, “Cyclops—if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed—say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, La...
Throughout history there have been many people who have stood out and made an impact in the way we think and comprehend things. During the late 1950's and early 1960's, Malcolm X was no exception. His militant views that Western nations were inherently racist and that black people must join together to build their own society and value system had an important influence on black nationalist and black separatist movements of the 1950s and 1960s. At the beginning of the movie, Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little. He was a young child trying to adapt to society's changes. He was looking so hard that he fell into the wrong crowd.
The standout views and beliefs are what made Malcolm X one of the most prominent and fascinating civil rights leaders of the 1950's and 1960's. He was a man who told everyone exactly how he felt and reached a large audience of people. He was also very interesting in the sense that he was able to change his views after traveling out of the United States and realizing that it wasn't just white versus black but it was problem within American society as a whole. His message of equality is one that, although not immediately effective in his lifetime, helped pave the way for African Americans to live their life with many of the same advantages as what he considered White America.
Of the people whose names are mentioned in history, some men like Thomas Edison are praised for their genius minds, while others such as Adolf Hitler are criticized for leaving a depressing legacy behind. While it is relative easy to notice the type of legacies these two men left, legacies of other men are often vague and they seem to be imbedded in gray shadows. This is how many people view the life of Malcolm X. Malcolm X during his lifetime had influenced many African Americans to step up for their rights against the injustices by the American government. One on hand, he has been criticized for his hard stances that resemble extremism, while on the other hand he has been praised him for his effort in raising the status for African Americans. The extremes in viewing his life from the modern day perspective have often come from reading his climatic speech The Ballot or the Bullet that he gave in many cities across America in 1964. When he was with the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X favored Blacks to be separated from the Whites, and during this time he strongly opposed White Supremacy. This also seems quite prevalent in his speech The Ballot or the Bullet. However, one events during the last year of his life reveal that he wanted the Blacks and the Whites to coexist as peaceful Americans.
Malcolm X throughout his whole life was one person. However, given his experiences, evolutions and phases that he went through in his 39-year life, he went by several different names. From the beginning he struggled with his racial and religious identity which led him to start going by different names. When he had a revelation he would then change his name. Malcolm X is most remembered for being a former criminal turned key figure in the civil rights movement next to the likes of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Unlike those two however he was most known for his advocacy for Black Nationalism and suggested that violence is the answer. His most famous phrase was how he we wanted freedom and equality “by any means necessary”, in a very
From the analysis above, although he never fully matches Odysseus either in wisdom or courage, we cannot deny their highly resemblance in initiative, sensitivity and socialization. Influenced by his father not only by hearing the great deeds spread by people but also fight with him for vengeance, he follows his father’s step and comes to his manhood.