Malcolm X describes how his life in prison changed his outlook on his any many peoples lives. While in prison, Malcolm X taught himself from dictionaries and books how to become literate. This literacy prompted Malcolm X to find an interest in history, but not Just history. The history “white men” left out. He became further interested in this topic, and found himself dig deeper and deeper. HIS Interest was never slowed, even years later, and e gives all the credit to the homemade education he gave himself in prison.
Analysis: Malcolm X separates this story Into 3 separate portions, that all seem to play off each other. He begins with how he taught himself to read and write in prison by using tablets and a dictionary and wrote from every night. This part was Important, because as he states; he doesn’t, “think anybody ever got more out of going to prison than he did” (203). In the next part Malcolm X begins to explain how he became interested In the part of history that white men left out.
The history of minorities interests him greatly, and he begins to read more and more to fully understand these topics. He talks about some of these happenings In history, and his strong feelings about them. The last part of his story is Malcolm X reflecting back on how much he owed to his time in prison, and exactly what that gave him. He states, “l have often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me” (202). He also calls books his alma mater, showing how he owes everything he knows to those books.
