In Malcolm X’s autobiography written in 1965, X illustrates his “Learning to Read” and the pursuit of knowledge. As a Muslim African American Civil Rights leader, the author articulates his illiteracy that later transforms into the motivation of learning how to read and write. Throughout persistent discovery of knowledge, X has explored a great number of inequalities and contradictions existing in contemporary society. X uses a lucid and detailed description of his early days and numerous facts to achieve his thesis of the pursuit of knowledge. X’s irate tone aims at the discriminated African American community and “White” people who are ignorant about their own history; additionally, “Learning to Read” inspires colored people who are being …show more content…
In his early life, the author depicts an illiterate who knows slangs but who is not “functional” (para. 2) of writing. X takes advantage a series of commas that connects numerous clauses to exhaust reader and implicitly to empathize his hardship of articulating ideas. He “stumbled upon” (para. 1) his jealousy of an educated inmate and starts to read books that look as though are in “Chinese” (para. 3). By repeating words such as “aloud,” “read,” “myself” (para. 8), the author implies behind these tedious tasks, more importantly, is his persistence. Many Malcolm X’s diction is denoting. His passion for knowledge comes from the new words he has learned, of which he feels “immensely proud” (para. 9). He is wholehearted to “devour” (para. 15) new concepts, to accumulate “a million words” (para. 10) vocabulary, and to be like the prison “celebrities” (para. 14) he admires, who are very knowledgeable. While his diction is already in simple English, he expects his tone to be more friendly. After a dozen of paragraphs, he begins to shift his diction in second-person point of view. He states figuratively that even with a “wedge,” “you” (para. 11) cannot separate himself with books. Additionally, colloquial sentences evoke a sense that they are on a common ground, where a trusted friend is sharing his experience. This adds on his automatic ethos as a public educated and articulate …show more content…
Upon the ethos he has built, he appeals to logo by sharing more facts from worldwide history about the white people. X sets off with the fact that although the available history is excessively “whitened” (para. 19), genetically, the origin of humankind is still believed to be black. Under this condition, Malcolm X is “shocked” by the “total horror” of slavery, and “monstrous crime, the sin and blood” (para. 27) the white men has done. This use of pathos renders a view of a vulnerable black man who has suffered from the white’s injustice. He attaches this view with vivid yet miserable anecdotal imagery of black women “tied up and flogged with whips,” babies “being dragged off” (para. 28). His condemning diction creates a haughty and haunting attitude of convicts: “the fugitive slave catchers, evil white men,” (para. 28) are “like devils, pillaging and raping and bleeding and draining” (para. 29) colored people in the world. These facts lead to his perception of contradictions: these “religious” (para. 31) but “cannibalistic” (para. 33) people, who have taken advantage of “Chinese-invented gunpowder” to “[declare] war upon [Chinese] who objects to be narcotized” (para. 34) and later treat Chinese as dogs (para. 37). These facts emotionally and logically prove X’s anger and inhumane white people in the
In "Learning to Read," an excerpt found in The Autobiography of Malcolm X, author Malcolm X attacks his illiteracy while imprisoned for battling the white man. Malcolm in his conversations with other prisoners realized he was not as articulate with the hustlers in prison as he was in the street. Bimbi, a fellow prisoner in Charlestown Prison would take over conversations because of his vast vocabulary and knowledge from reading. This knowledge was where Malcolm X drew his inspiration to be Malcolm just as intelligent. This was his initial start toward his autonomous learning. Malcolm X explains, “Bimbi made me feel envy of his stock of knowledge.” He became fascinated with the vast amount of knowledge of Bimbi. When X first arrived in prison, the highest education he had was that of an eighth grader. Therefore, Malcolm begins reading to obtain the same eloquent speech, but he comes across a dilemma. X explains how he could not comprehend every word in the sophisticated books Bimbi read. Malcolm became frustrated because he could only read the words he knew but in the end had no under...
Malcolm X’s encounter with his English teacher became a major turning point of his life (Cone 45) , not only, Malcolm X did not have a clear sense of his identity, Cone suggested that he was not even in a supportive environment where he could search for it and fight openly against others who denied him that right. It represented the end of his attempt to become integrated into a white society. Malcolm X believed that no matter what he did he would
In the essay Learning to Read, author Malcolm X recalls his profound discovery of literature and reading he experienced while being imprisoned. He explains how this discovery has allowed him to further explore many passages in his life, one prominent passage being his religion and the teachings of his idol, Elijah Muhammad. Through this recollection, Malcolm X uses rhetorical strategies such as allusion, diction, and syntax to express how he finds Muhammad’s teachings to be highly appealing. Malcolm X alludes to the literature of many renowned authors and their writings to support his claims. These allusions refer to the culture and history of black people, and Malcolm X is fascinated with the information he is able to consume through these
In “Awareness of Language” by Malcolm X and in Sherman Alexie’s essay, “Superman and Me”, the authors demonstrates how education, which is achieved through experience as well as literacy and dedication, provide an escape from the cycle of lower-class society. The authors also argue that appearance has nothing to do with education level. Malcolm X in his essay goes in depth about the struggles he faced before his time as a civil rights leader and before coming one of the most influential men of the century. He also explains how his time in prison truly set him free. Sherman Alexie divulges the inequalities within the education system on reservations. Alexie also addresses the trials and tribulations he endured as a Native
Throughout each stage of his existence there are a multitude of symbols that are made evident. Haley shows how status played a major role in developing Malcolm’s self-worth. The author explains how a “conk” hairstyle tied him to the white world and showed him his own internalized racism. The writer also demonstrates how eyeglasses, a watch, and suitcases played a major role in his final transformation to the great leader that he made himself into. All of these symbols work together through the captivating tale of his life, and illustrates the many things that helped to shape him as a man. All things considered, Haley reveals just how critical symbols are in not only Malcolm X’s lives, but in everyone’s lives. Ultimately challenging his readers to look at their own lives in an attempt to discover what their personal symbols are. Malcolm X’s life had many challenges and setbacks, nevertheless, he discovered who he wanted to be and rose to the challenge, proving himself an important and influential
Alex Haley, the author of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, uses structure, style, and content in the first 11 chapters to describe his purpose and to contribute to the beauty and power of the text. Not every chapter specializes in structure, style, and content. One Chapter may have a unique style, but another may have a unique structure to support the author’s purpose. Each chapter helps contribute to the beauty and power of the text in that they each have something important to help support the purpose which is to show how Malcolm became what we know him to be. Content is very important in many of these chapters because they provide reasons and examples of how Malcolm X became radical and a very aggressive protestor.
Benson, Sonia, Daniel E. Brannen Jr., and Rebecca Valentine. “Malcolm X” UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History. Eds Lawrence W. Baker and Sarah Hermsen. Vol. 5: K-M. Detroit: Gale Cengage, 2009. Print 8 Vols.
Malcolm X’s "Learning to Read" truncated version focus more on the story of how Malcolm X learned to read while in jail. It relays his message of his new found love of books and just skims the surface of what he actually read. It is a good reading for high school and early college students because it has a good story line; a illiterate black prisoner learns to read. It can be used as an inspiration for young readers and shows that not every person was well educated like they are today.
In “Learning To Read” by Malcolm X he had talked about his time in prison and how he devoted his time there to work on his vocabulary and his penmanship.
In the autobiography of Malcolm X, Haley’s use of Malcolm’s two personalities, as well as Malcolm’s reflection of this past, helps make clear what changes and events transformed Malcolm Little into the Malcolm X most of us have come to know. Haley’s telling of Malcolm’s life story also clearly walks the reader through key events and circumstances that accelerated his changes in views. The combination of these two elements helps Alex Haley create a powerful text that gets the Malcolm’s points across clearly and effectively. In chapter 1, Malcolm’s story begins with an emotionally powerful event, a KKK raid at his parent’s home before he was born. The KKK members talk about Malcolm’s dad “’spreading trouble’ among the ‘good’ Negroes of Omaha with the ‘back to Africa’ preachings of Marcus Garvey” [p1].
The release of Malcolm X’s autobiography concurs with a growing hunger for change and progress in the Civil Rights Movement. According to A&E Television Networks, success of major political events such as: the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka 1954, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, continued in helping repressed citizens obtain
Malcolm X’s Freedom Through Learning to Read, is about the time he spent in prison, and how he used that time to give himself a ‘homemade education.’ Malcolm learned many things during his time in prison, but the most important of it all had to have been realizing that his ‘homemade education’ is what freed him.
Reading supplies a new viewpoint of Malcolm X’s environment and it pushes Malcolm X to expand that viewpoint. Malcolm X says “ For one thing, I had my first experiences in opening the eyes of my brainwashed black brethren to some truths about the black race” Malcolm X sees himself as liberator, someone that can educate others of their numbness and unknowingness. This confidence in himself is due to reading. Because of reading, Malcolm X discovers the truth, finding a way to liberate himself and to identify himself as free. In reading, there is a reward. The reward may not seem appealing to others because of their blindness and numbness, but if others do attempt to read, their reward might be their freedom, their understanding of freedom. Malcolm X’s freedom to speak and think freely amazes him and he wishes to spread that freedom, that knowing, and to call for action- to
Malcolm X was alive during the Civil Rights Movement, which was a period between the 1950’s and 1960’s. It was a time period where black people fought for political and social equality against white people. During this time, Malcolm X had come into trouble with the law multiple times, resulting in imprisonment. Malcolm X didn’t have any way to pass the time, so he decided to write letters. These letters contained information focusing on his opinion about whether black people were being treated equally. His passion on the subject was the driving force for his motivation to write them, “Everything, I’ve ever felt strongly about, I’ve done something about it.” (X 67). Thinking that by writing and sending out his letters he could get his point
. The truth is your are free to choose, it can build you or it can drain you. Often it enables us to tell the world who we are because the fear of the consequences of our choices. The choices are yours. Make it wisely and worth while. Malcolm X is one of the greatest inspiring man who has proven to the world self education can make an impact rather than formal education. In learning to read, Malcolm X answers the question, “what’s your alma matter?” His response was “Books” (6). It all began in the Charlestown Prison. Although he spent his life in prison with no educational support as a student would expect from formal education. The only tool and guidance he had towards education been a dictionary. It was a matter