Analysis for Learning to Read by Malcolm X Malcolm X, who used X to signify his lost African tribal name, was an American Muslim minister and a human rights activist. He stated in his excerpt “Learning to Read” from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, “[People] will think I went to school far beyond the eighth grade” (Learning to read, X,3). Malcolm X was kicked out of the school after 8th grade, and went to the prison. He learned how to read in the prison. Ever since then, he started to read books and think about the fate of black people’s. As I reading the excerpt, I was impressed by his wonderful writing skill and by how books influenced him like everybody who had read it. Two literary techniques that he used in the excerpt impressed the readers. He used …show more content…
X established a tone of gratitude for books. X stated in the essay, “In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life” (X,11). In this sentence, “truly”, “in my life” showed his gratitude for books, also made the readers realize that the books really set him free, he appreciated the books. The tone was sincere. Another example in the text: “I never will forget how shocked I was when I began reading about slavery’s total horror” (X,26) showed his shameful and angry tone for slavery history. Readers could get his shame and anger from his choice of words “shocked” and “horror”. His tone made readers feel his emotion while reading the excerpt, thereby achieved his purpose of moving the readers. In conclusion, Malcolm X used two powerful techniques, hyperbole and tone, to express himself and impress the readers. He made me believe that “Ten guards and the warden couldn’t have torn me out of those books”(X,33). Between the lines, Malcolm X showed us his love, passion, and gratitude for books, and to his purpose of life, to promote human rights activities, especially for African-Americans. Readers could not feel him without all the techniques he