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In The Belly Of The Beast Analysis

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Although Malcolm X’s The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Jack Henry Abbott’s In the Belly of the Beast both have common motifs such as change, dehumanization, and corruption. The difference is their experience with each one of the motifs. Furthermore, they both have similar narrative voices and characterization. One of the main motifs that they both have in common is a change. For instance, Malcolm X experienced not only change, but he also reformed from his time in prison unlike Jack Henry Abbott.
For Jack Henry Abbott, he has a conflict with adjusting to prison because he believes that if he does so, he will never be able to adjust to society. That is to say if Abbott was even able to adjust to prison, he believes that he would wind up back …show more content…

This leads to Malcolm X going to the library and discovering the dictionary which was his way of freedom. His tone and characterization also change when he was transferred to the Norfolk Prison Colony. His tone went from an angry, hopeless tone to a ambitious, hopeful, proud tone. Although his antagonist was Charlestown, it was also his attitude when he was staying there. Because of his attitude, this was one of the factors that was holding him back from reforming. In addition, Malcolm X’s characterization used to an antisocial and uneducated being and then reformed to an educated, cultured being and apart of the community. “I preferred the solitary that this behavior brought me. I would pace for hours like a cage leopard, viciously cursing aloud to myself.” (Malcolm X 150) This is a quote from when he was staying at Charlestown. In contrast, when he was at the Norfolk Prison Colony, “I was so fascinated that I went on – I copied the dictionary’s next page. And the same experience came when I studied that.” This quote shows that Malcolm X was ambitious in reforming himself and has a thirst for knowledge.
A comparison of Malcolm X and Jack Henry Abbott shows that they have common motifs such as change, dehumanization, and corruption. The difference is their experience with each of the motifs. To summarize, they both had many similarities, but the main difference was how they faced their adversities. In conclusion, Malcolm X and Jack Henry Abbott both did change, but Malcolm X also reformed from his time in

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