The Autobiography of Malcolm X Analysis

He then becomes Detroit Red, who then becomes a convert of the Muslim Nation and changes his name to Malcolm X, and who in the end falls out with Islam to become El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, an international human rights crusader. It seems that each stage represents change in character and mindset transformation because it yields its own lessons. In fact, it can be likened to the cycle of a butterfly. It is crystal-clear that some of the stages have a significant impact in shaping the history, particularly in the area of human rights activism. The vivid writing style adopted by the writer of the autobiography in telling us his story speaks volumes of the authenticity of the first person account. They later moved to Lansing, Michigan in 1928.

However, the gravity of racism proves more extreme than Omaha. Within a short time after they moved in, a racist mob razed their home in 1929 but nothing was done by the town’s responders, who are all white. Malcolm’s character was in this stage being developed, and being influenced by actions of malice and racist evils perpetrated against the black simply they were simply black. It can be said that transformation cannot begin from the blues, it begins somewhere and in the case of Malcolm X, this time is known as Malcolm Little is a stage of childhood where memories of racist evils register in his mind. The disillusionment he suffers was contributed much by racism. He moved to Chicago in search of a job and lands one as a shoe-shine boy.

His reddish hair earned him the name “Detroit Red”. In fact, he considered this as having been “brainwashed”- which is a common word in the autobiography. This has a meaning of being colonised mentally, as he colours his hair so that he can look like the whites. Fard, the Messiah’ who was the founder of the Nation of Islam (p. Significance of this instance is that of spiritual conversion, and further has an impact on history because it is itself a milestone in the chronology of his character transformation. He influenced so many people to convert into the Nation of Islam after prison when he became a Minister. He became Malcolm X after dropping the surname Little. To him this was a slave name.