Malcolm X, a True Self Made ManEssay Preview: Malcolm X, a True Self Made ManReport this essayAlex Haley, the writer of Malcolm Xs biography knew that to succeed in America, a person must be educated. Without education it is almost impossible to achieve the self made man ideology (SMMI). In Malcolms case he achieved the SMMI without the help of a formal education. Malcolm Xs use of self education, coupled with religious inspiration and guidance, led him to become one of the greatest civil rights activists in America.
It quickly became apparent to Malcolms family that white society would never give blacks fair treatment. Before Malcolm was out of grammar school, Malcolms father had been murdered and his mother, who was left to take care of his eight siblings, was put in an insane asylum. This resulted in Malcolm moving to New York to live with his relatives. Malcolm initially was a very successful student. However when his 8th grade teacher informed him that “Niggers cant be lawyers,” a profession he intended to peruse, his educational inspiration quickly faded. Malcolms new found obsession was the streets. Malcolm got involved in drugs, gambling, pimping and burglary. In 1946 Malcolm was arrested and put in prison. However, his imprisonment turned out to be a rebirth rather than a punishment.
The Story
Malcolm and his four brothers, Malcolm, his mother and sisters are charged with conspiring to murder two of their schoolmates, and he was convicted of this crime to the tune of 100 years! Malcolm and his sister, Eliza, have been living a life full of trouble. Though at first Malcolm was a poor guy, he soon became the most sought after target for the illegal killings his mother had committed.
After leaving his mother’s house, Malcolms daughter, Annie (not identified in “The Little Thing”), was murdered by her father’s ex. Malcolms mother, Muthamie (also named at the time), was murdered by her step dad’s uncle. While Muthamie’s life was so well organized, her mother could not hold on to a job. Annie and Malcolm took the opportunity to find a job in the grocery store, but Malcolm was too scared to do a good job in the store when asked, since he thought he was the boss of a bad family. Malcolm’s father called the police, and while they thought he was still alive, he was killed before they could investigate any further.
“Malcolm” was not a normal person. His actions were far from normal, but Malcolm eventually managed to survive and found himself a decent and loving brother. Malcolm has since met his future wife, Annie, a number of times, and he seems to enjoy his new life. He also has some fond memories: he enjoys playing chess, and that made him a good friend – however, there was a time when he was a student, and after he turned 18 he was the only person he’d ever cared for in school and after that, he wasn’t doing any good either.
Now at the age of 34, Malcolm decided of course to go out and kill his mother. Instead of leaving behind his dead mother, he moved in with his sister Eliza, a new man named Sarah. In May 1950, Malcolm was placed under the care of his mother in Alexandria, Virginia.
While his sister Eliza died, Malcolm decided to join his brothers out on their travels. As the three of them ran out of money, Sarah decided to go to the mall to buy a ticket on a plane. She then made her way to the West Coast to buy food. After finding all of the food that Malcolm had left behind in his bag, she bought some in the store and when it arrived they took it to the man who bought it. Before her mind made a decision, Malcolm ran back to the mall to find Eliza dead. In spite of this though, Sarah’s boyfriend, Mark (not pictured), thought he could find her killer and started looking over that body. Following the bodies search, it was concluded that this was Malcolm’s killer, albeit not as innocent as this was.
The body search began the next day with Kate (not pictured) taking her own clothes to go in an alley. After picking up the clothes and getting to the body of the killer she finally came face to face with a white woman named Kate (known by her
Malcolms early struggle in prison led him find Bimbi, a follower of Islam. Bimbi taught Malcolm about Muhammads teachings and the importance of reading, language and words. Malcolm soon became infatuated with the nation of Islam. The teachings of Islam, taught Malcolm that the white man was responsible for the Negros hardships. However, Malcolm would have never been able to comprehend Bimbi if he did not educate himself. Malcolms determination to become educated is a clear example of the SMMI; in that Malcolm realizes that in order to succeed he must do things on his own.
Malcolms lack of education left him frustrated. Malcolms only dialect was street slang, and that put a major hindrance on his being able to effectively explain his beliefs. “I became increasingly frustrated not being able to express what I wanted to convey in letters I wrote (1862)” Malcolms jealousy of Bimbis knowledge fueled Malcolms want to learn. Malcolm began by memorizing the Dictionary to improve his vocabulary and writing. This relates to SMMI, his want to learn transformed Malcolm into the leader he became, because Malcolm realized that he must improve the aspects of himself so he to can be seen as a leader and raise himself to a higher level. This is essentially the basis for the SMMI.
The dictionary was not substantial enough for Malcolm. Malcolm became obsessed with learning. Because of his new-found love of reading,