Tow #4

Malcom X’s The Autobiography of Malcom X has proven to be an extremely interesting book this far. As the title would suggest, my book is about the life and times of Malcom X, the man who went from a criminal drug peddler to one of the most iconic leaders of the Black Revolution. Despite this book being an autobiography, X is not a completely reliable author. He is completely biased in his views of himself and only presents to us what he chooses, so this whole point of view should be taken with a grain of salt. 

This book was written for the people who both viewed Malcom X in a positive and negative light. The audience directly links to the purpose, which I believe is to clear up the smudges on X’s name and disprove inaccurate claims against him. Malcom X was viewed by millions of people as a black man that hated all white people, no matter the circumstance. Malcom X attempts to clear his name by using aphorisms and using anecdotes to illustrate how he felt and why. X uses these two techniques together and often. In the second chapter, titled, “Mascot”, Malcom X tells a story about a teacher that told him he’d never become a lawyer despite his excellent grades because he was black and needed to choose something more “realistic” (his teacher recommended he become a carpenter instead). He then follows the anecdote up with the lines, “…but apparently I was not intelligent enough, in their eyes, to become whatever I wanted to be” (X 37). These two devices get X’s point across by presenting the situation (in the form of the anecdote) and then revealing the effect the situation had on him (in the form of the aphorisms) so the audience can better understand the influences and mindset of Malcom X. 

I believe that Malcom X has indeed completed his purpose as he walks the reader through his decisions, reactions, and feelings thoroughly. The point of this book is to present the reader with X’s experiences and emotions, but not to tell the reader how to feel about them. This allows the reader to come to their own conclusions about X, which X probably hopes are positive.