The Autobiography Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley (Book Review Sample)

The Autobiography of Malcolm “X”
Student’s name:
Instructor’s Name:
Class:
Institutional Affiliation:
Date:
The Autobiography of Malcolm X as articulated by Alex Haley is a book based on the life story of Malcom X and his preaching on racism and segregation in the American society. Malcolm X was an anti-integrationist Muslim leader whose life story revolutionized America. In the book, Malcolm told his life experiences as a black American to Alex Haley, a veteran writer and journalist. The autobiography recounts the life of Malcom X from a childhood plagued by racism to adult life as a drug dealer, prisoner, and a Muslim leader. It covers his spiritual conversion to Islam through Elijah Muhammad’s teachings in prison leading. The autobiography explains the American culture and the struggle for equality by the black Americans.
The events in the book took place during Malcolm’s lifetime from 1925-1965. The book highlights Malcom’s childhood experiences in Michigan that exposed him to racism at an early age. The book further explains his imprisonment from 1946-1952 and his subsequent ministry with Elijah Mohammad from 1952-1963 leading to his emergence as the spokesman for the nation of Islam. The book was also based on civil rights movement period from 1954-1960s. During this period, African-Americans suffered from economic oppression, discrimination, and violence orchestrated by the whites. Malcom X came into the limelight in the 1960s as a leader of the Black Muslim movement. The book describes his life till his assassination in 1965.
The autobiography is set in the United States, Middle East, and Africa. Omaha, Lansing, Boston, New York, Chicago, and Detroit are the major locations in the book. The autobiography starts with Malcolm’s birthplace Omaha and then continues to Malcolm’s childhood in Michigan where he attends high school in Lansing. Malcom then moved to Boston when he completed high school. The book highlights his life in Boston as an urban criminal. The book then shifts its focus to Harlem, New York where Malcolm worked various jobs. Malcolm moved back to Boston as a burglar where he got arrested and imprisoned. He met Elijah in Chicago after his release from prison on parole. He then became the leader of the temple in Detroit and rises quickly through the ranks. He also traveled to the Middle East and various African countries as an ambassador of the Nation of Islam.
The purpose of writing the book was to communicate Malcolm’s changing perspectives on racism. The author wrote this book with the aim of fighting for equality between the blacks and the whites. He aimed at explaining the social and political contexts to the events surrounding Malcolm’s life as a victim of racism. The author aimed at illustrating the struggles faced by African-Americans due to discrimination by the whites. He then provides solutions by explaining the need for unity and self-determination of the oppressed people all over the world so as to combat racism.
The various topics covered in the book are racism, hustling, activism, and transformation. The book outlines the racial problems plaguing the African-Americans and dehumanizing them. The murder of Malcolm’s father by a white hate group known as Black Legion demonstrates the extent of racism. Malcolm also experiences subtle racism in the book from his childhood to adulthood. His father loved him because he had a lighter skin color as compared to his siblings. In school, he got treated differently because he was black. For example his teacher told him “be a carpenter because the thinking of a lawyer was foolish for a Negro.” The book provides also a solution to racism through the unification of oppressed people.
Hustling is another topic addressed by the book. The book presents the life of a black American as a matter of survival in the urban areas. Malcolm does odd jobs for the whites such as “shining their shoes” and “carrying their dirty plates” to earn a living. Transformation is another topic addressed in the book where Malcolm changes from a criminal to a religious leader. In Boston and New Yolk, Malcolm is a drug addict, burglar, and a criminal. However, in prison, following the teachings of Elijah, he re-invents himself to a devoted Muslim and fights for transformation of race relations in America.
The author argues for separatism where the blacks and whites live independently. Malcolm believed that the American society was too racist to offer any hope for the blacks. Therefore, he believed that “the only way the black people caught up in this society can be saved is not to integrate into this corrupt society, but to separate from it, to a land of our own, where we can reform ourselves, lift up our moral standards, and try to be godly.” He argued for the empowerment of the blacks so that they can defend themselves. Malcolm also argued that the way to fight against racism was through unification of all oppressed people in the world. Malcolm always stressed the need for unity among the blacks to the attain human rights.
The most insightful part of the book is the explanation of racism from the political, economic, and social context. The book depicts the extent of racial discrimination in the society. However, it changes the common belief that the white men and women are the racist and places blame on the American system. Malcolm told one African leader that “It isn't the American white man who is a racist, but it's the America...