How Does Malcolm X Change

In the autobiography of Malcolm X, Haley’s use of Malcolm’s two personalities, as well as Malcolm’s reflection of this past, helps make clear what changes and events transformed Malcolm Little into the Malcolm X most of us have come to know. Haley’s telling of Malcolm’s life story also clearly walks the reader through key events and circumstances that accelerated his changes in views. The combination of these two elements helps Alex Haley create a powerful text that gets the Malcolm’s points across clearly and effectively. In chapter 1, Malcolm’s story begins with an emotionally powerful event, a KKK raid at his parent’s home before he was born. The KKK members talk about Malcolm’s dad “’spreading trouble’ among the ‘good’ Negroes of Omaha

Malcom talks about how the Swerlins accepted him with “…it was out of their liking for me that I soon became accepted by them-as a mascot,…” [p27]. It is here where even at a young age, Malcom begins to pick up on some of the inequalities, and social treatment that sets him apart from white people in his community. He backs this up with how the Swerlins and his judge would act even when he was around: “…and he would look me up and down, his expression approving, like he was examining a fine colt, or a pedigreed pup.”

Malcolm uses reflection of the pas here to talk about himself becoming a victim of the self-delusion he talked so strongly against to emphasis how easily people can become lost in their views. He called himself “Stupid enough to stand there simply lost in admiration of my hair now looking ‘white’, reflected in the mirror in Shorty’s room.”