Introduction
The Autobiography of Malcolm X, written by Alex Haley, is the story of a young African American boy’s rise from racial oppression to political activism. The cover features three portraits of Malcolm X in various stages of speech and concentration. The traumatic childhood of one of America’s most influential personalities is brought to life by Haley’s keen eye for historical literature and the African American struggle. The book was the result of a series of videotaped interviews in which Malcolm X expressed his desire for a society in which all races lived in harmony. His adoption of Islam and its core principles informed his vision of a black community that was economically and socially self-sufficient. Haley serves as an instrument through which Malcolm’s evolution from a young traumatized boy to an influential international political advocate for racial equality is manifested.
Plot Summary
The book details how Malcolm Little is born in Nebraska at a time when the Midwest is characterized by extreme racial discrimination and violence. His family moves to Michigan, where the conditions are just as bad. White people murder Malcolm’s father, and his mother is forced into a mental asylum. After completing the eighth grade, Malcolm leaves his hometown for Boston, where he quickly embraces the nightlife. He gambles, gets involved in crime, and dates an older White woman. After working a few odd jobs, he eventually moves to New York, where his involvement in violent crime escalates. Malcolm is eventually arrested in Boston for house burglary and is locked up in prison.
While in jail, the young man decides to transform his life by converting to Islam. He eventually quits drugs, adopts a reading culture, studies English, and participates in prison debates. When he is finally released on parole, he lives with his brother and becomes an active member of the Detroit temple devoted to the spread of Islam. He consequently drops his last name and adopts the placeholder “X” as a representation of his African ancestor’s lost name (Aqeeli, 2020). His devotion to Islam leads to a steady rise through the ranks, and he becomes the religion’s first national minister. His advocacy for black unity echoes throughout the United States, and his name becomes synonymous with black freedom. However, the Muslim leaders fear his meteoric rise and suspend him from the organization despite being a champion for their cause.
The Nation of Islam’s frustration intensifies as Malcolm continues his mission across America. He receives death threats and is forced to confront the organization’s leader, who finalizes his dismissal. Malcolm opts to start an organization that is purposely more politically active than the Nation of Islam. Muslim Mosque, Inc. served as a platform through which the courageous orator could teach his followers the right path. However, on a trip to Africa and the Middle East, Malcolm learns that the version of Islam he advocates for is significantly different from the one he experienced while abroad. He changes his views, and by the end of his life, he has risen to become an international figure recognized by the world’s leaders. He believed that religion could help ease the racial tension that had plagued America for generations. Malcolm was eventually assassinated in 1965 by people who were wary of his influence.
Character Development
The book’s characters are well developed and connected to the story’s main character in a variety of intriguing ways. For instance, the narrator is a young and bright boy who grows up feeling excluded by white society. His experiences transform him into a ruthless criminal struggling to survive. However, he is changed while in prison and becomes an aggressive spokesperson for the Nation of Islam. His political ambitions are manifested through tolerance and meditation. Elijah Muhammad, who is the Nation of Islam’s religious leader, acts as a father figure for young Malcolm. His benevolent demeanor soon collapses as he becomes jealous of Malcolm’s increasing fame and influence.
The narrator undergoes several phases of development which are aptly captured in the book. His story begins with Malcolm Little, an African American boy who passively suffers through discriminatory experiences that later shape his views on American racial politics. His father’s unfortunate death at the hands of White supremacists and his mother’s forced institutionalization are deep and emotionally scarring events that prompt the development of anti-white sentiment. This is demonstrated when he viciously attempts to integrate himself into a mostly white junior high school. His encounters with segregation intensify as he leaves his hometown in search of better opportunities.
Detroit Red represents a phase of Malcolm’s development that was characterized by violent crime and morally corrupt behavior. At this point in his life, the narrator speaks slang, takes drugs, and gambles. The character represents the ease with which the nightlife seduces underprivileged black folks in big cities. Malcolm evolves into a hustler focused on earning a living and protecting his territory at all costs. He learns to trust nobody, is keen to defend his public image, and works on finding information about his enemies. Detroit Red is a representation of the black community’s struggle for survival.
Malcolm is nicknamed Satan while in prison because he preferred solitary confinement and had a bad temper. However, as he devotes himself to education, he changes his overall outlook. The narrator’s submission to moral authority is demonstrated when he deliberately allows a Boston detective to arrest him. He proves this trait when he bows to Elijah Muhammad’s authority. Malcolm evolves from a street hustler to a responsible individual keen on ensuring personal growth. The time spent in prison marks a turning point from a life of suffering and misery to the adoption of a mission to fight for human rights and embrace the Islamic faith.
Adopting the name Malcolm X signifies the narrator’s development into a credible and confident religious leader. He artistically shapes this identity as he rises through the Nation of Islam’s ranks and uses the media to spread his ideologies. His message gradually deviates from the organization’s core principles as he starts to address issues concerning white America. He advocates for active engagement with regard to domestic racial issues and holds significant sway in the public’s eye. The wisdom he gained from his travels impacted his views on freedom and the Black movement.
It is worth noting that the autobiography fails to emphasize some important people’s roles in Malcolm’s life. For instance, Sister Betty, his wife, is barely mentioned in the narration. Other than the casual mention of her childbearing and housekeeping duties, readers are denied details of her impact on the main character’s life. Details of Earl Little’s life and influence over Malcolm are scanty at best. It is evident that the preacher was assassinated for his views on Black Nationalism. Apart from his devotion to the spread of Marcus Garvey’s ideas, his impact on Malcolm’s perspective and political inclination is hardly explored. Sophia is the narrator’s white girlfriend and early political companion. While there is little information provided on her beliefs and history, it is evident that their union was meant to make a statement. She represents the attraction black men have for white women, and the meaninglessness of the union defines Malcolm’s cynicism concerning interracial relationships.
Main Ideas
The autobiography is focused on how racism dehumanizes groups of people that are discriminated against. Having grown up and survived situations where white people saw him as sub-human made Malcolm dedicate his life to the struggle for equality. The color of his skin determines the manner in which people interact with and treat him. For instance, while at school, Malcolm was told that he would never become a lawyer (Sciurba, 2017). The autobiography highlights critical aspects of the black struggle before the onset of the Civil Rights Movement (Nugroho & Aryani, 2021). Malcolm X believes that the people who were nice did so to demonstrate how unprejudiced they were. He uncharacteristically dehumanizes some white people in an attempt to get revenge for his extensive subjugation. However, during his travels to Mecca, he meets white people who convince him to change his worldview. He states that “America needs to understand Islam because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem” (Haley, 1965 p. 391). This phrase reveals the narrator’s continued faith in Islam’s ability to promote political, economic, and social self-sufficiency in Black communities.
The autobiography describes a Harlem club as a safe space where individuals who constantly suffer the deleterious effects of racial discrimination bond as a family. The narrator states that “in one sense, we were huddled in there, bonded together in seeking security and warmth and comfort from each other” (Haley, 1965 p. 104). The people that frequented the entertainment spot were mainly concerned with surviving the dangers of living in a white-dominated America where opportunities for minorities were scarce. The establishment is a safe haven for individuals whose lives are punctuated by pain and the torment associated with prejudice.
Another important theme that is evident in the book is the similarity between activism and hustling. Even though the narrator stops smoking, drinking, gambling, and engaging in criminal activities, his evangelical life bears stark similarities to the past. He uses insights and skills gained from life as a troubled teen to influence people as a religious authority. He focuses on crafting his image as a media personality by knowing his enemies and distrusting people. The narrator states that the streets of Harlem equipped him with the mission he was chosen to accomplish. Even though Malcolm actively condemned his past ways, he appreciates the fact that they taught him how to survive in a competitive and racially biased country.
Malcolm’s evolving views on racial politics demonstrate his character’s development. The plight of black communities is exemplified by the loss of both his parents at the hands of white individuals. His experiences in the dingy streets of New York and Boston impart upon him the philosophy that black Americans must refuse white people’s help and fight to craft a future for themselves. The teachings he receives while incarcerated further complicate his perspective on white America. During one of his speeches as a minister for the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X states, “If I could drain away his blood that pollutes my body, and pollutes my complexion, I’d do it!” (Haley, 1965 p. 232). This reference is directed to his white grandfather and demonstrates the orator’s fierce hate for white America. Malcolm condemns his grandfather’s atrocious acts, and even though he benefits from having lighter skin in his earlier years, his altered skin tone serves as a stark reminder of the ills committed against the black community.
While he abandons past behaviors, Malcolm adopts a deep disdain for white people. These beliefs are challenged when he travels to the Middle East after he realizes that the struggle for equality in America will only be successful if black people align themselves with other oppressed people around the world. He argues that African Americans have been “entirely brainwashed from ever seeing or thinking” of themselves as part of the Earth’s nonwhite community (Haley, 1965 p. 398). This view demonstrates Malcolm’s adoption of a broad perspective on matters concerning oppression and racial politics. By the end of the autobiography, Malcolm X has evolved into a character that supports white participation in the struggle to liberate black communities from the clutches of racial discrimination. He states that he is “for truth, no matter who tells it” and that he embraces justice “no matter who it is for or against”(Haley, 1965 p. 421). His experience of the multifaceted nature of racism supported the development of the narrator’s true philosophy.
The autobiography’s ending gives readers the sense that Malcolm X has fully embraced the abstract ideals of justice and truth. This realization propels him from a black political activist to a global figure capable of influencing the course of black history. It should be noted that while his speeches demonstrate a change in perspective, his actions upon returning to New York were perplexing. For instance, he rejects white people’s appeal to join his organization, claiming that each of them must work with their own kind before attempting to work with blacks. It is evident that there are limits to his newfound philosophy. However, the fact that he was willing to consider engagements with white people in the quest for universal justice demonstrated his belief that the unification of America’s races is a possibility.
Conclusion
Malcolm X’s Autobiography offers an intriguing exploration of the mind of one of America’s most influential personalities. His evolution and the factors that influenced his dedication to the resolution of racial injustice are explored in detail. The writing is precise, and the ideas blend together to illustrate the struggles black people had to go through to survive. The book is a demonstration of how powerful ideas can transform societies and change the course of history. Malcolm’s political and religious influence sparked a debate on racial injustice at a time when America was in the midst of one of its worst social crises. Through Malcolm X, the people realized that equity is a fundamental human right. The author demonstrates how minorities understood the power of a united front and the importance of joining the global struggle for equality. The autobiography offers good reading for individuals willing to challenge their perceptions of race in a country that seldom offers opportunities to nonwhite populations.
References
Aqeeli, A. (2020). The role of Malcolm X’s speeches in solidifying his autobiography. Language Circle: Journal of Language and Literature, 14(2), 130–136. Web.
Haley, A. (1965). The autobiography of Malcolm X. Ballantine Books.
Nugroho, B. S., & Aryani, D. S. (2021). The influence of systemic racism on quarter-life crisis in the autobiography of Malcolm X (as told to Alex Haley). Journal of English Education, Literature and Culture, 6(1), 120. Web.
Sciurba, K. (2017). Journeys toward textual relevance: Male readers of color and the significance of Malcolm X and Harry Potter. Journal of Literacy Research, 49(3), 371–392. Web.