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Alex Haley's The Autobiography Of Malcolm X

881 Words4 Pages

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is the personal account of the life of African-American muslim minister, human rights activist and political leader el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X. A controversial and polarizing figure, Malcolm X was known for advocating the liberation and self-defence of the African-American people through "any means necessary". Co-written by accomplished journalist Alex Haley, this book provides personal insight into the life and mind of one the 20th century's greatest men. - Religion The theme of religion pops up often throughout the book. Malcolm is exposed to religion early in his life as his father was a preacher, but Malcolm stated “Even at that young age, I just couldn't believe in the Christian concept of Jesus as someone divine…I had very little respect for most people who represented religion”. Malcolm’s statement made me reflect on my beliefs as I don’t necessarily agree with the christian concept of God …show more content…

For example, following his relocation to Boston, Malcolm finds "the Hill," which he describes as a"snooty-black neighborhood" that contains African-Americans "acting and living differently from any black people I'd ever dreamed of in my life…. and looking down their noses at the Negroes of the black ghetto." Malcolm is initially alarmed by the fact that black people are trying to become "white" by taking "white" speech patterns and clothing. In Malcolm's case, his transformation is represented by the "conk," a popular hairstyle that straightens curly hair. Malcolm's "conk" elevates him from a lowly "country Negro" to a cool, popular "city Negro". The conking of the hair involved a mixture that painfully burnt the scalp. As Malcolm said, "This was my first really big step toward self-degradation: when I endured all of that pain, literally burning my flesh to have it look like a white man's

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Annotated Bibliography: The Autobiography Of Malcolm X

1072 Words | 5 Pages

Thesis: In “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”, Malcolm X in his telling of his life to Alex Haley uncovers the theme of positive and negative environments unearthed by the interaction of African Americans and White Americans in his life and what those kinds of environments inherently produce. Annotated Bibliography Nelson, Emmanuel S. Ethnic American Literature: an Encyclopedia for Students. Greenwood, An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2015.This encyclopedia points out that the negative interaction he held with the white man as a young hustler was countered by these same experiences pushing Malcolm X to reclaim his “African identity”. This shows, as described by the cited work, what a man pushed by his negative interactions with the oppressive white men is willing to do to find his identity (i.e. through hustling).

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What Is The Structural Choice In The Autobiography Of Malcolm X

466 Words | 2 Pages

That also falls under the chart of systemic oppression, how the society doesn’t want colored people to become something big in their life, clearly stating that they are worthless, and can’t be better than the whites. As years pass by Malcolm X moves to boston, thinking that he will have a lot more opportunities education wise, work, etc. The author shows how Malcolm was changing, starting to get involved in drugs and robberies. He was always hanging out on the ghetto side of the town, his style was starting to change. Malcolm was also trying to deny his blackness, by getting his hair done “conk” style, he was trying to act less black and more to the white side.

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Malcolm X A Graphic Biography By Andrew Helfer

253 Words | 2 Pages

The library contained a wealth of books about history and religion, two subjects for which Malcolm was particularly hungry.” (pg. 50) was stated. When it stated that Malcolm

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High Tide In Tucson Summary

1583 Words | 7 Pages

1. In "High Tide in Tucson" Kingsolver pressures on the thought that things never go to arrange however they never quit changing and with this consistent change one must adjust to the earth around us. We must adjust to the adjustment in tide and simply float along with those tides. 2. In "Creation Stories" the author raises the prospect that a few individuals are shyer than others and they like to live like a recluse crab inside their home. Life is intriguing however not when one stays home throughout the day, one must go out to get the chance to experience life and all its renown.

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Historian Manning Marble, By Abdul Karim Bangura

1682 Words | 7 Pages

The life of Malcolm X exhibits the hardships of living in America as an African American individual with the lack of rights, the activism and leadership Malcolm X portrayed in his lifetime changed the thought process of many African Americans that followed the path to freedom he led while also changing the course of black history. When observing the role of Malcolm X, it is vital to acknowledge the short life he lived as his actions were reflected in the treatment he had been dealt with for the entirety of his life. From the critical analysis of Historian Manning Marble, showcasing Malcolm X’s history in a deconstructed manner and the direct approach towards Malcolm X’s chronicles on display by author Abdul Karim Bangura, it has become possible

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Malcolm X Central Idea Analysis

495 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout the Autobiography of Malcolm X there are several key events the bring out the central ideas of the text. Some examples of the key events was when Mr. Ostrowski lectured Malcolm, when Malcolm was in jail and he learned the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, and when Malcolm made his pilgrimage to Mecca. A closer look at the central ideas would show that they build on one another. When Malcolm was going to school his teacher, Mr. Ostrowski, told home to give up his dream of being a lawyer,” Malcolm, one of life’s first needs is to be realistic.

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Spike Lee's Autobiography Of Malcolm X

1385 Words | 6 Pages

Malcolm X was one exciting movie that was based and co-produced on the autobiography of Malcolm. It is a 202-minute epic story that unfolded into the realities of the black man in America. This is one of the movies that Spike Lee produced, he is also credited for five other movies before this released (Clark, 2015). The film starring Denzel Washington was divided into three sections: in which the first part, Lee sought to explore X’s early life and childhood who was referred to as Malcom Little. The second phase was in jail where he transformed, reclaiming his Islamic beliefs and teachings.

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Comparing Malcolm X And Muhammad's Research

699 Words | 3 Pages

Mr. X wanted to bring to the minds of African Americans that the white man had taken too much advantage of the African American race and not given the credit where it was due. Since Malcolm grew up with the conflict of racism throughout his whole life, he knew that when he was given the opportunity to influence other and teach them the reality of things, it would something he would not turn down. The tone he conveys in this story can be one of being ardent. The manner in which he goes to great extent to support Muhammad’s teachings shows his passion to bring justice to the black race, and any other race brought down by white

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How Did The Life Events And Experiences Of Malcolm X Shape Him?

2619 Words | 11 Pages

The darkness of the night terrified him and reminded him of the dark incidents of his house burning down and his father and uncles’ murders. The daytime, too, had its dangers as there was a constant threat of violence, beatings, and bullying. But it was through these events that Malcolm truly learned to fend for himself and become tough, while discovering who he was as well as what he believed in. Despite not being accepted by his white peers or his black peers, he still showed a brave, humane version of himself: one who defended underdogs of either side with a greater effort than he used to defend himself with. Malcolm believed in what he deemed was just and when it time came to judge, he saw no color but rather what he saw was

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Malcolm X Book Report

971 Words | 4 Pages

Organized into six topical groups, the author did an excellent job in comparing and contrasting King and Malcolm’s views on subjects including integration, the American dream, means of struggle, and opposing racial philosophies that needless any improvement. An interpretive introductory essay, chronology, bibliography, document headnotes, and questions for consideration provide further pedagogical support for students. The author explains how Malcolm X came closer than any social reformer in history to embodying and articulating the totality of the African experience in America while Martin Luther King was not only the most important figure in American religious history in the 20th century, he was arguably its most brilliant

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Summary Of Malcolm X A Homemade Education

812 Words | 4 Pages

By becoming a scholar one is provided with a plethora of more opportunities and they will not be that thwarted individual who, when they read, felt as if the words were all in Chinese. In this excerpt Malcolm X also seeks to arouse a sense of relatability within his audience. During the late 1900s, the United States was riddled with racism. Malcolm X (1956) recalls an experience that he had in 7th grade United States history class in which the teacher had made a quip regarding Negroes and the classroom resounded with laughter. This allegory would connect to the apparent audience is because many of them have had similar experiences with blatant racism and he evokes a call to action.

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Is Martin Luther King Jr Used In Letter From Birmingham Jail

1764 Words | 8 Pages

To demonstrate, Malcolm X identifies himself as “one of the 22 million black people who are the victims of Americanism… [and] democracy” (2). This quote is an example of the combination of logos and ethos. He uses statistics as a fact to support his claim that African Americans are suffering in the United States and demonstrates his expertise with his identity as an African American, respectively. In addition, while identifying himself as a Muslim who practices Islam, Malcolm X tells his audiences that he is “not here to argue or discuss anything that we differ about, because it’s time for us to submerge our differences and realize that it is best for us to see that we have the same problem, a common problem…” (1). This quote clearly shows that Malcolm X is devoted in helping his people achieve equality, despite the fact that he is already a well-known and influential

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Malcolm X And Black Rage

946 Words | 4 Pages

Hence, they crave peer acceptance in both, receiving genuine approval from neither” (West 139). Another renowned description of this phenomenon by Malcolm X is a metaphor stating that there are two kinds of slaves, the house negro and the field negro. Malcolm says that the house negroes love and protect the white master while field negroes hate and resist him, while this rhetorical device can be useful in highlighting differences amongst black people it’s a broad over generalization, and plain negligence to try and fit a black person in one of the two categories. Nevertheless, Malcolm creates a clear analysis of the issue of double-consciousness, showing that he understands the complexity of the matter at hand and that he is knowledgeable on the subject, hence utilizing ethos. While Malcolm X strongly believes that “black self-love and black self-determination [will make black people] free of the tension generated by ‘double-consciousness’”

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Malcolm X Talks To Young People Summary

897 Words | 4 Pages

Malcolm X, who also known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, was a prominent American Muslim human rights activist for those African-Americans in the United States. The book which I have chosen for my book review entitled “Malcolm X Talks to Young people” which comprises all his speeches in United States, Britain and Africa whereby his targeted audience was the youngsters. This book consist of all the original transcripts and excerpts of speeches produced by him to teenagers in the three countries which are the United States, Africa and Britain throughout the last year of his life. In my opinion, Malcolm X Talks to Young People is an immensely relevant and edifying for the youngsters nowadays as it gives impact to those adolescents as they reacted positively to the negotiation and he portrayed himself as the real case on what is actually going on in his country which is in the United States.

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Malcolm X Contribution To The Civil Rights Movement

841 Words | 4 Pages

Malcolm X was an American Muslim leader who contributed to the Civil Rights Movement by spreading his ideas of black nationalism in the 1950s and early ’60s. He was an influential figure in a black Islamic organization, Nation of Islam, and served as a spokesperson for the organization. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965 while making a speech in Harlem. After his death, his life story was made well-known through his autobiography, The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965) (Mamiya 1). Malcolm X is a man whose background and activism contributed to the Civil Rights Movement and America as a whole.

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