Marqus Nguyen

1/20/14
AP English Lang. and Comp.
Independen !eading Pro"e# $2% &he Auo'iography o( Mal#olm )
The 8 Passages:
&he (irs passage I #hose ha (i righ ino he 'oo* +as Chaper 1, Nightmare. I
is a horri(ying inrodu#ion ha sars o(( +ih -lansmen harassing Mal#olm.s (aher (or
rying o prea#h Mar#us /ar0ey.s ea#hings. &he #haper in#ludes Mal#olm.s (aher (iring
a gun a he -lansmen o (lee, he ne+ (amily.s house 'eing 'urned, Mal#olm.s (aher
geing murdered, Mal#olm.s moher 'eing sen o a menal insiuion, and all, e1#ep he
+o older si'lings, o 'e sen o di((eren (oser homes. &he opening de(iniely helps sho+
he un(airness and di((i#ulies i +as o 'e 'la#* in Ameri#a. &he passage #augh my
aenion (or sho+ing he ra#ism in Ameri#a and (or 'eing a harsh sar (or he grea
Mal#olm ). 2iolen#e and in"usi#e almos al+ays grasps a person.s aenion, plus I (ind
i smar ha Mal#olm #hose he inrodu#ion o gra' he reader.s aenion +hile
'eginning his sory o( his li(e.
&he se#ond passage o( Chaper 2, Mascot, is a'ou Mal#olm elling his English
ea#her ha he +ould li*e o gro+ up o 'e a la+yer. &hough Mal#olm sho+ed o 'e one
o( he smares in his #lass, his English ea#her hough i +ould 'e 'es i( Mal#olm
+ould 'e a #arpener. &he English ea#her may ha0e 'een rying o *eep Mal#olm sa(e
(rom he un(air realiy o( 'eing a 'la#* la+yer, 'u i sure +asn. a ni#e saemen o say
o a eenager.s dreams ha (el on op o( he +orld +ih his inelligen#e. I pu33led me
ha a human 'eing +ould say ha o a eenager any+ay. 4o+e0er, I 'egan o undersand
ha he li(e o( a 'la#* man rying o a#hie0e in a predominanly +hie man.s "o' +as sure
almos implausi'le. I (eel he passage (i ino he 'oo* 'e#ause Mal#olm may ha0e 'een
smarer #ompared o he +hie *ids a his s#hool, 'u i +as almos #erain ha 'e#oming
a la+yer in +hie Ameri#a +asn. going o 'e easy a all. &his passage also plays ino
Mal#olm (eeling li*e a mas#o in his ne+ area, so he ends up mo0ing +ih his hal(5siser
Ella in 6oson. Mal#olm li0ing in 6oson helped shape his ne+ #iy li(esyle and his ne+
up#oming husling 'eha0ior.
&he hird passage, (rom Chaper 7 Caught, ends +ih Mal#olm and his 'urglary
#re+ 'eing #on0i#ed o( sealing +ih enough e0iden#e (rom his aparmen. Mal#olm.s
#re+ #onsis o( his long ime 'la#* (riend 8hory, his +hie lo0er 8ophia and 8ophia.s
siser. Mal#olm and 8hory are sen o 10 en years in prison, +hile he +hie girls +ere
gi0en lo+ 'ail. Mal#olm and 8hory spe#ulae ha he "udge ga0e hem an un(air en5year
senen#e o prison 'e#ause he +o 9sole. and #ommied #rimes +ih 9heir. +hie
+omen. I agree ha senen#e +as un(air sin#e Mal#olm said ha ohers +ho #ommied
he same #rime go a lesser senen#e. I +as surely dis#riminaion and ra#ism o #on0i#
'la#* men o 'e +ih #onsened +hie +omen. &his passage (is ino he 'oo* 'e#ause
su#h e0en ma*es Mal#olm (eel he un(airness o( he +hie man.s #our, 'u also a
general (eeling ha +omen +ere 0alued oo mu#h 'y he +hie man: lea0ing him o (eel
+omen +ere poenial e0il.
&he (ourh passage (rom Chaper 11, Saved, is a'ou Mal#olm.s ne+ and
(lourishing (aih in he Naion o( Islam. &he sri# (aih o( Islam ga0e Mal#olm somehing
o hold and rely on (or guidan#e. Mal#olm #hanges (rom an imprisoned husler o a
Muslim +ho 'egan o e1er#ise his (aih o his ra#ial predi#amen 'y e1panding his
*no+ledge +ih 'oo*s. Mr. Lile 'egins o read an a'undan#e o( 'oo*s in prison:
espe#ially ones dealing +ih religion and his religion o( Islam. &o me, his +as he
urning poin o( Mal#olm Lile o Mal#olm ). I asonishes me ha a #on0i# #ould
#hange o a religious man in a maer o( years and +ih a qui#* ransiion o Islam. &his
ne+ #hoi#e in religion rans(ormed Mal#olm o spread he message o( he (aih ha
helped him ou o( menal imprisonmen all a#ross Ameri#a. &he religion made Mal#olm
) o +ho and +ha he is *no+n (or oday.
&he (i(h passage ha I #hose is (rom Chaper 1;, Minister Malcolm X. I ells o(
Mal#olm 'e#oming an assisan miniser. 4e helps o 'uild ne+ Islami# emples in many
di((eren #iies and helps o 'ring in ne+ (ollo+ers (or he Naion o( Islam. A one poin,
Mal#olm is in 6oson o 'uild a emple and (inds ha 8ammy he pimp, an old (riend o(
Mal#olm, +as dead. Also, <es Indian Ar#hie, +ho ried o *ill Mal#olm o0er a
misundersanding, +as erri'ly si#* and (el han*(ul (or Mal#olm.s 0isi. &he husling
'usiness helped Mal#olm o 'e in prison. Mal#olm (el i( i +asn. (or (ae, espe#ially
prison, he +ould #oninue o #ommi #rimes, use a hea0y amoun o( drugs, and possi'ly
+ould ha0e 'een dead. I +as surprised o read a'ou Mal#olm 'e#oming su##ess(ul in he
Naion o( Islam 'e#ause he only re#enly "oin he Naion and many people ou o( prison
+ould #oninue heir #riminal a#i0iies. Mal#olm +as a'le o a##ep a ne+ (aih and
in#orporaed his sudies o help he 'la#*s in Ameri#a.
&he si1h passage ha I (el (i ino he message o( he 'oo* +as (rom Chaper 14,
Black Muslims. Mal#olm ) 'e#omes a pu'li# (igure (or he Naion o( Islam due o he
media learning a'ou he gro+ing organi3aion. Mal#olm 'egins o presen spee#hes o
many Naion o( Islam meeings and rallies. <ha ama3ed me +as ha Mal#olm +as
in#orporaing hisori#al and religious (igures o sol0e he ra#ial pro'lem in Ameri#a. I
'elie0e ha a spee#h is 0ery e((e#i0e +hen he spea*er uses allusions o represen an
e1a# siuaion: li*e ra#ism. I +ould li*e o hin* ha he ma"oriy o( Ameri#a
underesimaed Mal#olm 'e#ause he +as on#e a husler, #ame (rom prison, and +as a
'la#* man in su#h a ra#is #ounry. Mal#olm +aned o spread he *no+ledge o( gaining
*no+ledge. 4e 'elie0ed ha using a grea quaniy o( 'oo*s +ould in#rease a person.s
inelligen#e, and hus allo+ed hem o see he 'es pah agains ra#ism. 4a0ing an arsenal
o( sour#es sure ma*es a spea*er more relia'le o (ollo+: e0en he spea*er +as on#e a
#on0i#.
Chaper 1=, Mecca, allo+s Mal#olm ) o see ha no all +hie people are e0il.
Mal#olm ma*es a pilgrimage o Me##a and he (eels e0en #loser o man and /od han
e0er 'e(ore. People o( all #olors #ame o ma*e heir holy pilgrimage o Me##a and his
surprised Mal#olm. 4e 'egan o 'e more han*(ul (or his (aih (or seeing su#h
'roherhood in one pla#e. Mal#olm +ill hen #hange his opinions o( +hie people, and
laer +ill in#orporae 'oh +hie and 'la#* people o (igh agains he ra#ism in Ameri#a.
I +as (inally relie0ed o see ha Mal#olm sa+ ha no all +hie people are e0il. I +as
0ery s*epi#al hroughou he +hole 'oo* +hen he said, >he +hie men are de0ils.? I +as
pleased o see ha Mal#olm di((ereniaed 'e+een all +hie people and he a#ual ra#is
+hie men in Ameri#a. Mal#olm ), 'eing a'le o a##ep ha no all +hie people are e0il,
+as hen a'le o in#lude he +hie people +ho +aned o help he ra#ial pro'lem 'y
Ameri#a o +or* separaely in heir o+n 'la#* and +hie #ommuniies. Mal#olm ).s ne+
message o help Ameri#a +as o a0oid inegraion and (o#us on heir #ommuniies +ho
#hose no o help.
&he (inal passage I #hose is (rom he las #haper, 1965. Mal#olm 'elie0es ha he
+on. 'e ali0e +hen he 'oo* is in is (inished (orm due o people ha +an o *ill him.
&hough he al*s a'ou his deah +as going o 'e 0iolen, he sympahi3es his o0erall
(eeling o( his li(e. I( gi0en he #han#e, Mal#olm +ould +ish o a#ually ry o pursue he
#areer o( a la+yer: he 0ery dream "o' ha his English ea#her didn. +an him o pursue.
I +as sunned o see Mal#olm, *no+n (or 'eing (ier#e, 0en on some su'"e#s he (el he
needed o (urher on. Mal#olm +aned o #on#lude ha he +as a unorhodo1 Islami# and
ha he +ished he spo*e a'ou his re#en opinions 'e(ore lea0ing he Naion o( Islam.
&his passage +as imporan o me 'e#ause hese las pages +ould 'e Mal#olm.s las
+ords o his, he hoped, o'"e#i0e reader. In addiion, his passage +as +orhy o( a si#*y
noe 'e#ause i sho+ed ha you #anno *ill +ha is ready o die. &hroughou his +hole
li(e Mal#olm +as ready o die, 'u did no (all in he shado+s o( (ear. &his passage
#augh my aenion 'e#ause someho+ Mal#olm (el a 'i regre(ul, #on(idan, and
hope(ul in a maer o( pages. Mal#olm.s inuiion did #ome rue, ho+e0er his lega#y did
no die do+n and has indeed help agains Ameri#a.s ra#ism.
Part 3: The Quote of the Book
!hile "e are doing all o# that, #or himsel#, this $lue%e&ed devil has t"isted his
Christianit&, to kee' his #oot on our $acks to kee' our e&es #i(ed on the 'ie in the sk&
and heaven in the herea#ter "hile he en)o&s his heaven right here on earth in this
li#e.*
I 'elie0e he laer is he per(e# quoe o( he 'oo*. &hroughou hisory, he +hie
men ha0e 'een a'le o #on0er his sla0es +ih (or#e and o ma*e hem (eel (aih(ul
hrough he disasrous imes. &he +hie man +as sill #onrolling he ma"oriy o( Ameri#a
and +as li0ing #om(ora'le. 6la#*s +ere le( in heir gheos o (igh agains ea#h oher
and +ere le( o 'elie0e hey had o (ollo+ he +hies dependenly. 6la#*s +ere o 'elie0e
ha e0eryhing +ould 'e 'eer a(er he earhly5hell o( li(e +hile he res o( Ameri#a +as
li0ing in heir o+n hea0ens. &his un(air re0elaion made Mal#olm aa#* he +hie man,
his religion, his li(esyle, and his un(airness hroughou his li(e a(er prison. &he quoe
#apured he e1a# in"usi#e and (eelings ha A(ri#an5Ameri#ans +ere made li0e hrough
(or more han enough generaions. Mal#olm +ouldn. (all 0i#im o( ha0ing o 'e menally
and physi#ally imprisoned during our shor li0es anymore. &hose e1a# +ords #apured
he 'a#*ground, (eeling, and ruh o( he +hole ra#ial dilemma ha sill e1ised in he
grea empire o( Ameri#a.
Part 4: Reflective Letter
4onesly, I (eel ha +he ,uto$iogra'h& o# Malcolm X has made me e1perien#e
he rue (eeling o( redempion. I ha0e o'ser0ed ha hisory #an 'e used o 'eer or
+orsen a #ounry. I (el he 'la#*s pain o( ha0ing o 'elie0e e0eryhing he +hie man
old hem. I e0en (el he opposiion o( +hie men 'eing ignoran and hypo#rii#al
o+ards heir ma"or religion: Chrisianiy. I ha0e also reali3ed ha Ameri#a has 'een
made o(( o( hypo#risy. 8aring (rom he geno#ide o( 77@ o( Nai0e Ameri#ans o he
ensla0emen o( 'la#*s, demo#ra#y and equaliy ha0e 'een manipulaed o 'ene(i
Ameri#ans. I (ran*ly (eel more grae(ul ha so many people ha0e 'ro*e do+n +hie
Ameri#a and ha0e gi0en he (uure people, li*e my (amily, he opporuniy o 'e (ree o
li0e independenly. &hough his 'oo* +as mean o 'e more o( an assignmen I (eel i has
more o me han a 'oo*, 'u a +ay o hin* and li0e 'eer in his #orruped +orld.