Typhoid Fever Analysis

The two stories “Hair” by Malcolm X and “Typhoid Fever” by Frank McCourt are both very similar, yet different stories about human suffering. Furthermore, “Hair” is about young Malcolm X living in a society based on the way white people live. Malcolm earns money and goes to a salon in order to get his hair conked, a hair style during the 1940’s that made hair straighter. On the other hand, “Typhoid Fever” is about a young boy with a deadly disease living in a hospital and the people surrounding him. Other characters involved in this story are the girl he shares a room with, and the janitor he befriends. The similarities and differences between “Hair” and “Typhoid Fever” can be found in the author’s purpose, the setting, and the theme.

The purpose,

The theme in “Hair” by Malcolm X is not to let someone else or another group of people define how you see yourself. In the story, Malcolm wrote “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 hair.” In this quote, the author describes how he dislikes himself for wanting to assimilate with white people in order to become less “inferior” to them. He disagrees with the way white people influence others’ way of life just because whites consider themselves “superior” to those who are different. Many people mutilate their bodies and go through the pain similar to Malcolm’s conking experience so they can be considered equal to people around them. On the other hand, the theme of “Typhoid Fever” by Frank McCourt is that you can make the best out of a bad situation if you stay positive. The author demonstrates this theme with the quote “Then Patricia whispers, Give thanks, Francis, give thanks, and say your rosary, Francis, and I laugh so hard a nurse runs in to see if I’m alright.” In this quote, Frank and his new friend, Patricia mock the seriousness of the nurses when they are told not to talk to each other. Instead of worrying about their illnesses and well-being, these two sick children use sarcastic humor to cheer each other up. Although there are many things that could have made them very upset, they found

The author’s purpose, diction, and theme are three literary terms, each with several similarities or differences, used throughout these two stories. One similarity between these two stories is the author’s purpose which it to inform the writer about each of their struggles as children. On the other hand, diction and theme are two examples of difference between “Hair” and “Typhoid Fever.” In conclusion, each story will have its own characteristics comparable to that of another, including “Hair” by Malcolm X and “Typhoid Fever” by Frank