analysis of malcolm x autobiography

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

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• What role did Malcolm X play in the emergence of the Black Power movement?
• What was Malcolm X’s early life like?
• When did Malcolm X convert to Islam?
• What was Malcolm X’s relationship with the civil rights movement?
• How did Malcolm X die?

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

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The Autobiography of Malcolm X , biography , published in 1965, of the American Black militant religious leader and activist who was born Malcolm Little. Written by Alex Haley , who had conducted extensive audiotaped interviews with Malcolm X just before his assassination in 1965, the book gained renown as a classic work on the Black American experience.

The Autobiography recounts the life of Malcolm X from his traumatic childhood plagued by racism to his years as a drug dealer and pimp, his conversion to the Black Muslim ( Nation of Islam ) faith while in prison for burglary , his subsequent years of militant activism, and the turn late in his life to more orthodox Islam .

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

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Summary and Study Guide

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a nonfiction memoir published in 1965 by American human rights activist Malcolm X , in collaboration with American author Alex Haley . The book is the result of numerous interviews Haley conducted in the two years leading up to Malcolm’s assassination in February 1965. It covers Malcolm’s upbringing in Michigan, his career as a burglar and drug dealer in New York and Boston, his conversion to Islam in prison, his involvement in and eventual break with the Nation of Islam , and his becoming one of the most important civil rights activists in the country. The book was enormously influential on Black political and artistic movements of the 1960s and 1970s, and it continues to be widely read by students and civil rights activists in the 21st century.

This study guide refers to the 2015 reprint edition published by Ballantine Books.

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Plot Summary

Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925, Malcolm is the son of Earl Little, a Baptist minister who spreads the Pan-African teachings of Marcus Garvey. This makes Earl the target of White supremacists, particularly after the Littles relocate to Lansing, Michigan. When Malcolm is around six years old, members of the Black Legion , a White supremacist terrorist organization, murder Earl.

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In 1938, Malcolm’s mother Louise suffers a mental breakdown and is sent to the Kalamazoo State Mental Hospital, leaving Malcolm in the care of a White couple in nearby Mason, Michigan. The only Black person in his junior high school class, Malcolm thrives academically and socially. Yet a pivotal moment arrives for Malcolm in eighth grade, when an otherwise supportive English teacher tells Malcolm it is unrealistic for him to pursue a career as a lawyer. Suddenly and painfully aware of his second-class status as a young Black person, Malcolm works to escape Mason. He successfully convinces his adult half-sister Ella to take him into her home in the culturally vibrant, predominantly Black neighborhood of Roxbury in Boston, Massachusetts.

Not long after his arrival, Malcolm meets Shorty, a musician and poolroom employee who helps him navigate the Black nightlife scene in Boston. Around this time, Malcolm straightens his hair, starts wearing flamboyant zoot suits, and enters into a relationship with a young affluent White woman named Sophia. Around two years later, Malcolm relocates to New York where he gets a job as a waiter at the legendary Harlem nightclub Small’s Paradise. This puts him into contact with musicians, drug dealers, pimps, and racketeers. Before long, Malcolm supports himself by selling marijuana, engaging in burglaries and stickups, and running numbers for local gamblers. Meanwhile, he is increasingly dependent on marijuana, cocaine, and opium.

After a nearly fatal confrontation with a fearsome numbers runner, Malcolm returns to Boston in 1945 to plot his next move. Malcolm organizes a lucrative burglary ring with Shorty, Sophia, and Sophia’s younger sister. They successfully evade the authorities for several months until Malcolm is arrested after bringing a stolen watch to a repair shop. Malcolm and Shorty are each sentenced to ten years in prison, despite the fact that the average sentence for first-time burglary offenders is two years. Malcolm believes that in the eyes of the court, his true crime was corrupting the White women who conspired with him.

During his first year in prison, Malcolm earns the nickname “Satan” because of his constant and vicious invective against God and the Bible. In a letter, Malcolm’s younger brother Reginald tells him that the way out of prison is to quit cigarettes and pork. Malcolm complies, believing this to be some kind of hustle. Shortly thereafter, Reginald visits Malcolm and reveals that Reginald is now a member of the Nation of Islam, an organization that filters Black nationalism through a non-traditional interpretation of Islam. Under the teachings of the group’s leader, Elijah Muhammad , the Nation of Islam frames the contemporary Black struggle as a battle against White America, which seeks to brainwash African Americans through Christianity. Its members are observant Muslims who adhere to a strict taboo against cigarettes, alcohol, pork, and premarital sex. The Nation of Islam characterizes White people as “devils” whose time as the dominant group in American society will soon end.

Given Malcolm’s experiences with White Americans—starting with his father’s murder—the Nation of Islam’s teachings resonate deeply. Malcolm consumes books on history, philosophy, and religion voraciously, reading until four a.m. every night.

In 1952, Malcolm is released from prison. He lives with his older brother Wilfred in Detroit, where the two of them attend the Nation of Islam’s Temple Number One. Not long after, Malcolm meets Elijah Muhammad in Chicago and impresses the leader with his eagerness to recruit young Black men to their cause. Through his recruitment efforts and his blistering oratory, Malcolm ascends in the organization, eventually becoming the head of New York City’s Temple Number Seven in 1954. He also changes his name to Malcolm X, abandoning the surname given to his ancestors by slaveholders.

In 1959, the Nation of Islam becomes a household name—and an object of intense fear for many White Americans—after a Mike Wallace documentary on the group titled The Hate That Hate Produced . This catapults Malcolm into the national spotlight. White journalists frequently ask him to defend the Nation of Islam’s teachings, particularly those surrounding the term “white devils,” Black superiority and separatism, and armed Black self-defense. Meanwhile, other ministers in the Nation of Islam grow jealous of Malcolm’s national attention, turning Elijah Muhammad against him. Things come to a head when Malcolm learns that Elijah Muhammad has repeatedly broken the Nation of Islam code of conduct, impregnating multiple secretaries. In 1963, viewing Malcolm as a threat, Muhammad and his ministers prohibit him from speaking in public after Malcolm ignites controversy with comments that seemingly approve the John F. Kennedy assassination.

Effectively cut off from the Nation of Islam, Malcolm fears he will be murdered by a White supremacist or a Nation of Islam agent. Certain that his days are numbered, Malcolm takes the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, which every Muslim is required to do before they die if they are able. The experience of seeing Muslims of all races and nationalities come together in the name of Allah transforms Malcolm’s thinking about the possibility of White and Black people coexisting. Although he harbors no illusions about the racist attitudes of most White Americans, Malcolm finally acknowledges that there may be a place for sincere, antiracist White people in the fight for Black human rights.

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• The Autobiography of Malcolm X Summary

by Alex Haley

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" The Autobiography of Malcolm X ," written by Alex Haley , is a memoir of the life and experiences of Malcolm X, a civil rights leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam. The book covers the early life of Malcolm X, including his troubled childhood, his involvement in crime and drugs, and his eventual conversion to Islam while serving time in prison.

Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925. His father, Earl Little , was a Baptist minister and an active member of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, an organization founded by Marcus Garvey that promoted black pride and self-determination. Earl Little's activism made him a target of white supremacists, and he was eventually murdered when Malcolm was just a child.

After his father's death, Malcolm's family struggled financially and was forced to move around the country, eventually settling in Lansing, Michigan. As a teenager, Malcolm was a good student but struggled with feelings of anger and frustration due to the racism and discrimination he faced. He dropped out of school and moved to Boston, where he became involved in crime and drug use.

In 1946, Malcolm was arrested and sentenced to prison for larceny and breaking and entering. It was while he was in prison that he converted to Islam and changed his last name to X to symbolize the loss of his African heritage. He also became involved in the Nation of Islam, a black Muslim organization founded by Wallace Fard Muhammad.

After his release from prison, Malcolm X became a minister in the Nation of Islam and a powerful and influential speaker, known for his charismatic and confrontational style. He traveled the country promoting the organization's message of black pride and self-determination, and speaking out against racism and white supremacy.

As Malcolm X rose to prominence within the Nation of Islam, he also became a controversial figure, known for his radical and militant views on race relations and civil rights. He called for black people to defend themselves against violence and oppression, and argued that integration was not the solution to racial inequality.

However, as he became more involved in the civil rights movement, Malcolm X began to question the teachings of the Nation of Islam and the leadership of its leader, Elijah Muhammad . He became more mainstream in his views and began advocating for racial equality through peaceful means.

In 1964, Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam and made a pilgrimage to Mecca, where he had a transformative experience that led him to embrace a more universal and inclusive Islam. Upon his return, he founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity to promote civil rights and racial equality.

Tragically, Malcolm X's efforts were cut short when he was assassinated in 1965 while speaking at a rally in New York City. Despite his early death, his legacy as a civil rights leader and champion of black rights lives on, and his autobiography remains a powerful and influential work to this day.

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The Autobiography of Malcolm X Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

The autobiography of Malcolm X

Malcolm comments on drunk white people sounding pretentious, offering him backhanded complements like, "You’re just as good as I am—I want you to know that.’”

Ella is Malcolm’s older step sister who lives in Boston and who takes care of Malcolm. Ella becomes Malcolm’s female role model. Even though at first Ella so skeptical regarding Malcolm’s new faith, she also become a Muslim and she follows her...

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Study Guide for The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X study guide contains biographies of Malcolm X and Alex Haley, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Autobiography of Malcolm X
• Character List

Essays for The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Autobiography of Malcolm X written by Alex Haley.

• Symbols of Malcolm X's Life
• The Influence of Malcolm X on Ta-Nehisi Coates
• The Autobiography of Malcolm: The Story Behind the Man
• Reading in the "Prison" of Oppression: Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X

Lesson Plan for The Autobiography of Malcolm X

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Autobiography of Malcolm X
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Autobiography of Malcolm X

• Introduction
• Construction
• Legacy and influence

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Elijah Muhammad

Louise little (malcolm’s mother), ella little.

Reginald Little

Sister betty x, cassius clay (muhammad ali), abd-al-rahman azzam.

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The Autobiography of Malcolm X: Analysis

• The Autobiography of Malcolm X:…

In the autobiography by Malcolm X, Malcolm describes the frustration he dealt with not being able to write down the language he spoke so fluently and explains how he came to literacy while in prison.

He claimed to be an articulate speaker and hustler out in the street, captivating his audience when he had something to say but was not able to articulate his thoughts on paper when writing to Mr. Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Black Muslims.

His frustrations grew to the point that Malcolm had to take action when he felt envious towards, prison mate, Bimbi’s stock of knowledge, and how he could take hold of a conversation. In a failed attempt to emulate his prison mate, Malcolm thereafter began copying the dictionary on his tablets word for word and reviewed the meanings of the words within.

After realizing his accomplishment and how much he could remember, rejoicing, he continued to teach himself new words. In his autobiography, Malcolm X uses the irony of his situation, becoming free through autodidactism while imprisoned, to emphasize the impact being in prison had on him.

Firstly, Malcolm X was inspired to read by his envy towards Bimbi’s stock of knowledge. Following this, Malcolm attempted to grasp the knowledge Bimbi had through reading, however, the vocabulary overwhelmed him.

Frustrated by his lack of understanding, illustrating his bewilderment, Malcolm hyperbolizes that the vocabulary in every book he picked up might as well have been Chinese (173). After skipping the complicated words, it leaves Malcolm with little understanding of what the book had actually said (173). Ultimately, Malcolm’s frustration resolves, he “saw that the best thing [he] could do was get hold of a dictionary—to study, to learn some words,” and “to improve [his] penmanship” (173).

Secondly, after copying the dictionary meticulously, he read the words back to himself. Soon after, Malcolm realized that with a little effort he could recall meanings of words he once never knew existed (173). Besides learning vocabulary, Malcolm learned about people, places, and historical events through the dictionary (173).

Broadening his understanding both in English and culture; Malcolm gained autonomy to “pick up a book, and read and now begin to understand what the book what was saying” (173-174). His newfound freedom for literacy became the product of his efforts to constantly study to expand his mind.

Thirdly, Malcolm’s command of language is used to emphasize his new encounter with the freedom to read what was once inaccessible to him in prison. Malcolm illustrates, “Anyone who has read a great deal can imagine the new world that opened” (174). The new world Malcolm describes is his escape from the prison cell he has gained his liberty from. Furthermore, Malcolm communicates through the second person point of view to affirm his commitment to pursue freedom through literature.

He states, “Let me tell you something: from then until I left that prison, in every moment I had, If I was not reading in the library I was reading on my bunk. You couldn’t have gotten me out of books with a wedge” (174). By speaking candidly and directly to the reader he demonstrates his strong command of language by implying how important it was for him to make reading a habit and that he and books were inseparable.

Moreover, Malcolm’s full autonomy to language allowed him to exchange letters with Mr. Muhamad, focus on his teachings, and become enveloped in books (174). Although Malcolm remained in prison, his world of literacy allowed him to flee from the confines of his jail cell which he felt so free in. He adds, “months passed without [me] even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life” (174). Malcolm’s use of irony emphasizes that his freedom stretched out past beyond the walls of the prison.

Ultimately, Malcolm provides evidence that Norfolk Prison Colony facilitated literary enrichment, if, without it, he might not have been able to become free through his autodidactism in reading. The setting provided him with great resources; prominent teachers which came from universities such as Harvard and Boston taught at the school building where the prison library was (174).

The library had a vast private collection provided by a wealthy donor, Parkhurst, along with books about every subject (174). Malcolm adds, “Any college library would have been lucky to get that collection” (174). Additionally, Malcolm describes the prison he went to with a strong emphasis on rehabilitation and inmates encouraged to demonstrate great interest in books (174).

Lastly, an inmate with an appetite for reading was allowed to check out more than the maximum number of books permitted (174). Malcolm provides such detail to the setting to demonstrate its fundamental role the prison played in order for Malcolm to teach himself to read and in turn, become free through literature.

Lastly, with the autonomy gained from self-taught literacy, a necessity for knowledge developed for Malcolm. Upon reflection of what prison offered him, Malcolm writes, “I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life. [. . .] The ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive” (175). Malcolm received a thirst for knowledge that could not have been quenched but only sedated when he read.

In addition to his need to learn more, though ironic, Malcolm gained insight into how effectively he taught himself and the great impact it had on his life. He writes, “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 intensively than I would have if my life had gone differently” (175).

In conclusion, Prison had such a profound impact on Malcolm X because of the environment he was in, the resources the library prison offered him, and his autodidactism which without him, he would have never been able to become free through his immense involvement with literacy.

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