Haley's The Autobiography Of Malcolm X

Throughout the Autobiography of Malcolm X, Malcolm is given different names from his friends and family. Each name represents a different stage of his life. In fact, for all the important moments in his life, Malcolm is given a new name. Malcolm used these names to express his mind, whether he thought about religion or reefers. In Haley’s The Autobiography of Malcolm X, three names that Malcolm lived by were “Malcolm Little”, “Detroit Red”, and “Malcolm X”.

In Haley’s The Autobiography of Malcolm X, one name that Malcolm lived by was “Malcolm Little”. Malcolm was given the name “Malcolm Little” as his birth name. He claimed that he got the name from “the white slavemaster name of ‘Little’, which some white blue-eyed devil named Little had imposed upon [his] paternal forebears” (203). Malcolm despised the name “Little” because he believed that it separated him from his original African roots. During his time as “Malcolm Little”, Malcolm lived a life of many obstacles. After Malcolm’s mother was sent to the State Mental Hospital in Kalamazoo, Malcolm and his siblings split up into different foster homes across Michigan. In the new environment, Malcolm faced challenges such as racism and keeping in touch with his family. Malcolm’s phase as

The name “Detroit Red” originated from Malcolm’s hometown and red conk. Prior to life in the city, Malcolm lived in Lansing, Michigan — which his friends knew as the city of Detroit. Along with his distinctive, homemade, red conk, “[Malcolm] began to be called ‘Detroit Red’ — and it stuck” (99). Under this nickname, Malcolm lived, unarguably, the worst years of his life. He turned into an infamous Harlem hustler and sold reefers day in, day out. He spent the majority of his time on narcotics, gambling, women, and crime. Malcolm’s phase as “Detroit Red” represented Malcolm’s low point in life and the influence that drugs had on