In Malcolm X’s “Learning to Read”, we learn the story of how Malcolm turned his how life around while serving a sentence he earned from a robbery in 1964, which lead him to spend seven years in jail. During this time, Malcolm discovered the power that reading and self educating himself brought to his consciousness. Who would have known that this man’s entire life would of changed and transformed him into one of the biggest political figures of our time. He himself probably never would've guessed that this would of been his fate while he was in prison serving time for a crime he committed before his enlightenment. A negative choice he made which ultimately altered the path he was destined to go down, Malcolm X is the prime example of how change is possible for anyone as long as you start within yourself. Being that the school system I encountered prior to college barely educates you on black history, I can only imagine how the education system was in Malcolm’s time. At this time in his life when he was Malcolm Little, he had little to no education about his history which is most likely the reason he carried himself the way that he did in the very beginning of his life. One who does not know where they come from nor value their history typically tends to fall into a stereotypical existence; the only way to break this cycle is the awakening of the mind. Something has to occur to drastically changes a man or woman’s life, whether it's in a positive or negative form.
Malcolm X was a prisoner at Charlestown Prison. At the prison he educated himself on how to read and write. He wanted to write letters to his friend Elijah Muhammad, but he could even write simple English. Therefore he couldn’t convey what he felt in his letters. This motivated him and he took it upon himself to learn how to read and write. He did so by copying the dictionary. He stared from the letter A all the way to Z. By the time he finished he expanded his vocabulary and writing skills. Along the way he found interest in reading and picked up on a subject that deeply motivated him. Malcolm X was very passionate about the topic of slavery. His readings fueled his hatred towards the “White Man” and this allowed him to continue reading on
Malcolm X tells us in “Learning to Read” how he felt that he “wasn’t even functional” when it came to writing. He felt that he had always been seen on the street as an articulate person when he spoke. He desired to learn to read and write better so that he could express himself in letters that he wrote.
“Learning to Read”: Rhetorical Strategies Critique “Learning to Read” is a compelling excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, where Malcolm X conveys his experiences through nostalgic storytelling about how he went from being an uneducated prisoner to an articulate national leader, a section meant to inspire the reader. He explains how he had accomplished this by excessive reading and persistently educating himself in prison. He did this by studying the dictionary, for example. By the same token, he distinctly credits his empowerment to reading - particularly books about historical racial injustices such as slavery. He explains how this had awoken his dormant passion to fight against black adversity, an issue that he deeply connected
In “Learning to Read” Malcolm X a man who used his time in prison to educate himself so that he can better his life. Malcolm points out his motivation for wanting to read and what steps he took to learn. Through Malcolm motivations and steps, it can become an impact to people that can relate. To be able to Self-educate himself Malcolm used all the resources that were around him. In books, found what impacted him the most.
Throughout our lives there has been many stories on the great Malcolm X. Some people might have a bad perception of him seeing from his pass and also his actions. Malcolm Little known to the world as Malcolm X was one of the most powder leaders during the civil rights movement. Through his lifetime, he's been through trial and tribulations with his father dying and his mom being put in a mental hospital. These trails that he went through as a young child made him have to grow up fast. Each name he went from through the book “ The Autobiography of. Malcolm X” which were Malcolm Little, Detroit Red , Malcolm X , and el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. Each name that he went from seeming as if he had to go through obstacles that were life lessons. Somehow,
He had specific goal for his reading and learning although he spent seven years in prison. His goal was to serve the black man in term of Black and White separatism in the 1950’s in United States. His meaningful goal led to great reading and learning of certain subjects, such as Black history, Genetics, slavery, Chinese world history and philosophy. Constantly, he says, “You will never catch me with a free fifteen minutes in which I’m not studying something I feel might be able to help the black man (X 85). Moreover, Malcolm’s education is really an educational experience. Unlike Mark’s education, Malcolm had to begin his fundamental education by learning the vocabulary. Henceforth, he daily spent numerous hours on reading books to gain knowledge and understanding. He himself did that spectacular job without any specific guidance, except for his curiosity only. He said, “I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity-because you can hardly mention anything I’m not curious about” (X 85). On the other hand, reading for the sake of knowledge was a significant way to help Malcolm feel a sense of freedom in spite of being in prison. Truly, the more he read, the freer he felt. He concludes that “I don’t think anybody ever got more out of going to prison than I did. In fact, prison enabled me to study far more intensely than I would have if my life had gone differently and I had attended some college.” (X 85)
Malcolm X was a well-known figure in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. In “Learning to Read”, Malcolm X tells a personal journey of how he became interested in reading and speaks about his individual enlightenment. In this essay, Malcolm X uses his experiences to influence his audience, he seizes the opportune time to bring light to an important issue, and a stern tone to reinforce the importance that learning to read had on his life.
This goes to show that anybody no matter if you’re in school or locked away in a prison cell you can push yourself and excel your intelligence. Malcolm X was one of the greatest spokesmen for African Americans during the civil movement, but it wasn’t just his strong voice that moved people it was also his intelligent way with words that he did not fully acquire until he was sentenced to prison. Malcom X was already a smart man, he was street smart and knew how to talk to the common people but it wasn’t enough for him to the point where he wanted to be able to express himself further more into depth which he did not maintain the knowledge then. It was in Norfolk Prison Colony School where he acquired the further knowledge and intelligence from spending days reading, writing, and copying the dictionary to expand his vocabulary.
Ever thought about Malcolm’s reasons for writing this Autobiography? Throughout the text Malcolm experiences many things that many young teenagers would not be able to experience or even understand. Even though in this day and age teens try to accomplish most of the things Malcolm X might have accomplished within a day, there still would never be a hustler like him. Growing up Malcolm experienced many changes with his family and the people around him. In the text Malcolm jumped from being a loner to a very popular young man in the streets around Boston. Malcolm was the type of person that wanted to know all he could to make sure he was good at what he was doing. He wanted to fit in but yet still be himself at the same time. Malcolm quickly
Reading and writing might be considered a form of liberation because those skills open up new perspectives and understanding of the world, and allow people to convey their thoughts. First, reading and writing might be considered liberating because they open up new perspectives and understandings of the world. In the “Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Malcolm X states, “Anyone who has read a great deal can imagine the new world that opened” (pg. 1). 2, para. 3.
In Malcolm X’s, “Learning to Read”, he explains how being in prison helped him feel free for the first time in his life. As a child, Malcolm X was completely inarticulate and illiterate. He was charged for robbery in 1946 and was sent to Norfolk County Prison where he taught himself how to read and write. He studied everyday and practiced everyday. Every night, he would stay up until three or four A.M, after “lights out, ” reading. After learning to read, he began to read different history books. The ones that really interested him were about how there was really no “black-man” history and how blacks were basically deleted from history. Everyday, Malcolm X would write letters to Elijah Muhammad about the studies and his readings. Eventually,
Malcolm lived during a period that was very hard but very important for the black people. Black people were not considered citizens by many white people. They were not allowed to go to the same places as the white, they had to sit in the areas for black people and were treated like dogs.
Transformative Knowledge: An Analysis of “Learning to Read” by Malcolm X In his essay “Learning to Read” (1965), an influential African American activist, Malcolm X argues that self-education is a powerful tool for personal and societal understanding. Malcolm X shares his journey of teaching himself to read while in prison, demonstrating that education can be a tool for empowerment, self-improvement, and personal growth. He develops his thesis by narrating his own transformation through extensive reading in prison, using logos to highlight the logical strength of his transformation and pathos to connect with and inspire his audience.
The excerpt, “Learning to Read” (1965) by Malcolm X, reflects that he was enlightened on the path of self-education while he was still in prison. Malcolm X develops his major claim by mentioning different of his readings and how each of them influenced his life. Malcolm X’s purpose is to educate people on how reading formed him into the Malcolm X known to this day, in order to promote education. Malcolm X’s “Learning to Read” made me remember when I use to be at the United Nations model in high school and how much I learned during preparation for the assembly.
Since the past, black people had been oppressed and excluded from a formal education, leading them to find ways to educate themselves. While they open their minds to new worlds and perspectives, they encounter themselves with a disastrous world that discriminates them and unjustly takes their rights away from them. In these essays, “Learning How to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass and “Learning to Read” by Malcolm X, both authors tell their stories about how they found their way into the world of literacy even though they were banned to do it. Because they left ignorance back, they realize all the injustices that surround them. In my opinion, literacy is one of the most important tool humans possess to be aware of the issues of the world. Knowing about world problems makes people able to decide how to act towards situations and helps avoid being led by people that the only thing they want from others is power.