The Importance Of Structure Style And Content In Alex Haley's Autobiography

Throughout the The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Alex Haley, the author, makes his main determination to analyze how the structure style, and content contribute to the power and beauty of the text. His purpose to engage the reader by allowing details and imagery to communicate Malcolm X’s Development. The author sets a strong emphasis on the details of Malcolm X’s life throughout this book, so that readers understand how Malcolm X becomes the person he is. Other factors that are an incredible impact on the text in this book are central ideas such as separation vs. integration, systemic oppression and racial identity. They provide the author's purpose to rely on a stronger platform of detailed ideas. These Central ideas help the reader get a closer look on Malcolm’s Development and set compressions of the past versus today in the mindset of those central ideas. Most importantly,

the details explained of Malcolm X’s life through this book. Are emphasized the most not only communicate development but to let the readers understand how Malcolm X becomes the person he is.
When it comes to explaining the author's purpose The first thing that comes to mind to any reader’s mind is to engage. He shares Malcolm X’s beliefs that include ideas such as truly understanding someone and what that requires. He states “his whole life, from birth, must be reviewed” (p. 153). The author begins The Autobiography of Malcolm X when Malcolm X was still in his mother’s womb. His structural choice enlightens his purpose. Emphasizing the importance of knowing even the context that Malcolm X was born in. It is a major factor to understanding why Malcolm X thinks and acts the way he does throughout his life and how it is conveyed in this text.
The author begins the text with the astonishing, terrifying, and violent event, where the Klansmen aggressively harass Malcolm X’s mother in a pregnant condition. Surrounding their house “brandishing their shotguns and rifles” (p.1) and “Shattering every window pane with their gun butts” (p. 1), the author demonstrates that Malcolm X was born in a time of graphically intense, racism and discrimination. The frightening and emotional content of this event engages the reader with Malcolm X’s life from the very first page, contributing to the power of the text.
When the author begins describing Malcolm X’s development into a “hipster”, the author uses stylistic choices and graphic details to establish strong imagery that creates detailed, vivid pictures of what Malcolm looks like and how he begins to fit into that “hipster style” (p. 61). Another example of stylistic choices that establish that strong imagery is the author’s description of Malcolm X’s first zoot suit “sharkskin gray,with a big, long coat, and pants ballooning out at the knees and then tapering down to cuffs so narrow that had to take off shoes to get them on and off,” and the description of his new shoes “dark orange colored, with paper-thin soles and knob style toes” (p. 61). This imagery is so detailed it is almost a photograph of what Malcolm looked like at this time of his life. These stylistic choices enhance the beauty of the text.
When Malcolm comes closer to being caught for his robberies, the author again uses stylistic choices but this time to effect the use of figurative language that conveys Malcolm X’s thoughts at that time in his life. Malcolm X begins to reflect, he states “ I had gotten to the point where I was walking on my own coffin” and that “It’s a law of the rackets that every criminal expects to get caught” (p. 149). The imagery that walking on a coffin conveys and the figurative language of calling the likelihood of being caught a “law” emphasize that Malcolm X acknowledges that he was living a very dangerous lifestyle.That was certainly going to end poorly for him. Making the stylistic choice a platform to figurative language that conveys emphasis to the contribution to the power of the text.
As Malcolm X begins to learn the teachings of Elijah Muhammad he demonstrates how effective these teachings, including “True Knowledge” and “Yacubs History” (p.167) were to his transformation at the time. He describes and establishes his thoughts and how he used them as a reflection. He states “ I have looked back trying to assess, just for myself my first reactions to all this” (p.166) This allows the reader to say that his points are clear and convincing.On page one-hundred sixty seven Malcolm X describes a special sense of awe in his reflections “it was like a blinding light”. These descriptions and reflections convince and engage the reader that this “true knowledge” had an incredibly strong power on Malcolm X.
At the end of this text the author engages with foreshadowing to suggest that Malcolm might question these stories when he learns that “ Mr. Muhammad's tales...Infuriated the muslims in the east”(p.171). This statement shows that Elijah Muhammad's version of Islam was not approved by Muslims in the past. This information Engages the reader because it keeps the reader wanting to read more to find out why Malcolm X states that Elijah Muhammad might have been a “faker” (p.171). The use of reflection, description, and foreshadowing develop the structure of not only this certain text but the whole book. The authors clear, convincing, and engaging points throughout the book allow the text to have such an effective structure. That contribute to both power and beauty of the text.
Malcolm X engaging with the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, brought him not only to transform to new, better person. But to also meet his weaknesses. When Malcolm writes his first written exchange with Mr. Muhammad he struggles a lot. He states that he must have written it “At Least twenty-five times” (p.172) but although he felt embarrassed about his “poor letter”(p.172) he sent it. When he receives a letter back he is extremely excited to be “welcomed into the true knowledge” which shows how happy he is to be part of Mr. Muhammad’s teachings. Malcolm then moves on to describing the difference the author develops between the belief of the teachings and “the act”(p.172) of praying and how the teaching is all about learning and acknowledging. Versus “the act” of praying being the practice. Malcolm describes that praying was “the hardest test”(p.172) he had ever faced in his life. He describes it very hard and forceful. A huge challenge that he had to try “again,again...”(p.173). This shows that Malcolm was determined to practice and embrace the teachings of Elijah Muhammad to change no matter how difficult that change would be. At the end of this passage Malcolm X talks about how he wrote to people that never answered about a black man's condition in this wilderness, that forces him to judge himself harshly.He states “My life had been picking a lock to rob someone's house” (p.173) and how he “hand scratched to them how the white man's society was responsible”. This shows Malcolm X’s Strong determination to get his points across and that although he sent letters to addresses that did not even exist he would get them across.This is an example of how content and structure contribute to power.The structure on content of this passage made of pure determination allow you to not only see the power but feel the power.
People are always asking themselves “Why am I, as I am?”(p.153).

Let me tell you that “All of our experiences fuse into our personality.” and “ Everything that ever happened to us is an ingredient” (p.153). The importance of those two sentences is astonishing. Not many readers pick up these two sentences that include all three structure, style, and content. And their contributions to the power and beauty of the text but these two sentences are astonishing important because they contribute to you. They enlighten you to understand that we are who we are due to our experiences.That we are like a bowl of soup and everything that has happened to us is just an ingredient. Malcolm allows you to be part of his transformation but in your own way. To reflect on yourself and to find your own power and beauty. Alex Haley, the author, makes his main determination to analyze how the structure style, and content contribute to the power and beauty of the text. On the other hand Malcolm X’s determination, to analyze how your personal structure, style, and content contribute to the your power and your

beauty.