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Please post textual responses here-- guidelines

jeffsymonds 03 Oct 2013 22:11

Please title your submissions this way:

Textual Response for Chapter __

That way, it will be easy to find what we're looking for.

These posts should be at least 250 words, and should either a) respond to some aspect of class discussion that you found interesting; b) respond to a major question about the text; c) respond to a passage from the text about which the writer has something compelling to say. These posts should always directly quote the text at least once, and should provide a "works consulted" footnote.

When responding to these posts, please keep the discussion respectful and on topic. You are not commenting on youtube videos or firing angry missives into the interweb. This forum is the equivalent of a Branson classroom. Disrespectful language will not be tolerated.

I would like everyone to respond to a comment or conversation thread AT LEAST twice a week, and comments should be at LEAST 100 words.

ALL OF THE WRITING IN THIS FORUM SHOULD BE FORMAL AND ASPIRE TO HIGHEST LEVELS OF GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY AND COMMUNICATION. NO TWITSPEAK HERE.

Thank you.

Jeff

Last edited on 08 Oct 2013 05:31 by jeffsymonds Show more

Textual Response for Chapter 1

rfriedman 08 Oct 2013 03:55

Malcolm X’s, along with other African Americans, relationship to white people ranges from violent to pleasant. However, even the white people he is cordial with call him demeaning names, that he often justifies by saying, “they didn’t think of it as an insult”(12). By saying that they genuinely don’t think calling him a, (“nigger” and “darkie” and “Rastus”) is offensive proves that the white people X is involved with don’t understand how these words give them an attitude of elitism and power over African Americans. The mild tone of X in these scenes also show that X has accepted this as just a part of white nature; and that African Americans are supposed to be treated this way. X goes on to say that he and his siblings were called those names so much in school that they “thought those were (their) natural names”(12). The fact that X and his siblings began to accept those names as a part of themselves shows that they are subconsciously accepting the afterthought that they are unequal to White Americans as well as highlighting how extremely hegemonic the society was. This acceptance of the afterthought is also seen through X’s father when he encourages the “Negro masses to return to their ancestral African homeland”(3). By following and preaching the words of Garvey, Reverend Earl Little is admitting that “freedom, independence and self respect could never be be achieved by the Negro in America”(4), and thus he is admitting to failure and accepting the afterthought. Reverend Earl Little’s acceptance of the afterthought is seen again when he seems to favor X of the rest of his children. X believes that his father was “subconsciously so afflicted with the white man’s brainwashing of Negroes that he inclined to favor the light ones”(7). X’s fathers treatment of his children shows how deeply rooted the afterthought was in his life. X goes on to explain that “most Negro parents in those days would almost instinctively treat any lighter child better than they did the darker ones”(7). By making this generalization X proves that the deep rooted after thought was present for everyone and not just his father.

Works Consulted
The Autobiography of Malcolm X As told to Alex Haley

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 1

JimmyNguyen103096 09 Oct 2013 05:24

I agree that the actions of the whites to the blacks is a part of their nature and that X believes blacks are supposed to be treated as inferior. The hegemony in the society is definitely apparent and as stated by Revered Earl Little, "freedom, independence and self respect could never be achieved by the Negro in America" seems to be true according to chapter 1 (X 4). An example that demonstrates this is the violence of the white man to the black. Revered Earl Little "had seen four of his six brothers die of violence, three of them killed by white men" and X then says, "Northern white police were later to shoot my uncle Oscar. And my father was finally himself to die by the white man's hand. It has always been a belief that I, too will die by violence" (X 4). Most of his family member's deaths were because of a white man, and when X says that he will probably die of violence as well, so he is basically saying there is no hope for negroes in America. Also, there is nothing that says that the white men who committed these actions were punished in any way, so it seems like black people were not a valued member of society. Another example that showed this is the jobs the blacks occupied."The real "elite," the "big shots," the "voices of the [negro] race," were the waiters at the Lansing Country Club and the shoeshine boys at the state capitol" (X 8). This is ironic because it's saying the highest job that a black person could obtain is one where they will serve the white elites.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 1

Lindsay Allison 09 Oct 2013 06:11

Even more, the jobs that Jimmy referenced further reflect not only the hegemony of African American status in America, but also the extent to which X promotes Du Bois’ vision. He relates that the “highly respected” blacks “lived parasitically” off others, stressing their lack of individual autonomy (8). In this moment X suggests that hegemony suppresses African American Transcendence; the predetermined roles society assigns blacks stifle their ability to connect to the notion of self-reliance. The language of the assertion, calling the black role parasitic, moreover, suggests that X does not approve of this construction of society, and therefore, he indirectly advocates for Du Bois’ approach to the black problem. He suggests that the past is a hindrance to the individuality and success of the black race, and therefore he promotes an intellectual, rather than physically laborious black future.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 1

Mpereira 13 Oct 2013 21:51

Rose, your argument is even more apt now that we have read more of the book. However, I’d like to add another layer to your argument: though X originally promotes the acceptance of the afterthought, he grows to reject white hegemony and actively seeks the fulfillment of the thought. In chapter three, when X speaks of his first conk, he describes how the white definition of beauty came to be accepted as normal, and how blacks strove to emulate white trends. He says “Look around today… and you’ll see conks on black men. And you’ll see black women wearing these green and pink and purple and red and platinum-blonde wigs” (64-65). Here, X openly admits that he, along with many other blacks, shamelessly discarded their own definitions of beauty, in favor of the white man’s definition. Seen through the lens of DuBois’s language, X notes how in his youth, he accepted the afterthought, and dismissed the thought.
However, over time, X began to realize the power of white hegemony and strove to fulfill the thought, instead of lamely accepting the fulfillment of the afterthought. When speaking of the beauty trends of the era, he says, “How ridiculous I was! Stupid enough to stand there simply lost in admiration of my hair now looking ‘white’” (64). He takes this idea a step further and explains that “This was my first really big step toward self-degradation…I had joined that multitude of Negro men and women in America who are brainwashed into believing that black people are ‘inferior’” (64). In his book, X constantly injects his present voice into the text. Though his current self militantly advocates for black pride, the dismantling of white hegemony, and the fulfillment of the thought, his former sixteen-year-old self was deluded enough to believe that he should settle for conforming to the white hegemon.

Works Consulted:
Malcom X written by Alex Haley.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 1

AbigailDunn 14 Oct 2013 02:38

Rose-
I agree with what you said about Malcolm X’s father, that he is subconsciously influenced by white hegemonic powers and controlled by the afterthought. X’s mother and siblings, however, react very differently to white hegemony. X’s mother “looked like a white woman,” but she hates the fact that she is connected to white people (4). X, the lightest of his siblings, says, “I feel definitely that just as my father favored me for being lighter than the other children, my mother gave me more hell for the same reason” (11). X’s mother despises whiteness, and teaches X “to hate every drop of that white rapist’s blood that is in [him]” (5). After X’s father died, the social services intended to help X’s family “began to plant the seeds of division in [their] minds,” so that the entire Little family began to believe that they were a broken family (21). The afterthought prevailed, and the Littles began to see themselves the way the agencies saw them: as a broken, destroyed family. X’s mother is forced to go back to work; however, because she refuses to pass as white, she is unable to keep her jobs. She does not succumb to white hegemonic pressures and pretend to be white, but ultimately these hegemonic powers still destroyed her and drive her to insanity. Because of this distorted self-perception, X’s “mother was losing her mind” (23). “Eventually my mother suffered a complete breakdown” and was removed from the family (25). Only much later, recalling his childhood, is X able to see what hegemony did to his mother and family. He says, “I truly believe that if ever a state social agency destroyed a family, it destroyed ours” (26).

Works consulted
The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 1

DelaneyJ 25 Oct 2013 20:24

I am very interested in the question of if X has replaced one blind faith in hegemony for another and so reading this response to chapter one is very interesting to me. It was so strange to look back and see the description of X in chapter 1 is that he is “mild” since after chapter 12, I would call him quite the opposite. Rose also pointed out that in chapter one, X accepts being treated as an inferior because he is black, which is drastically opposite to what he believes after chapter 12. It is interesting to me that X is so mild and avoids conflict in chapter one since his dad is involved with the Marcus Garvey back to Africa movement. The back to Africa movement is a way to hate white people and yet avoid conflict, which is kind of what X is doing. He says that he “Hate(s) every drop of that white rapist’s blood that is in him” and yet is able to accept when his white cohorts call him names at school. He has a deep fire of hatred towards whites and yet is able to avoid any conflict with them. Once X reads books that preach a different idea such as Du bois, X becomes much more active in fighting against white people and expressing his hatred toward them. Seeing these trends and how fickle X is in his opinions makes me wonder if he is replacing on blind faith in hegemony with another simply based on the opinions of those around him.

G block Textual Response for Chapter 1

JaneSwart 09 Oct 2013 06:25

While X is growing up, Washington’s plan for the black race to take jobs in service has become hegemonic. Washington founds the Tuskegee University on the idea that “The individual who can do something that the world wants done will, in the end, make his way regardless of his race” (Washington, 75). When X is a child, the individuals Washington spoke of have taken menial jobs, but had not elevated themselves beyond this level. X says that “the real ‘elite,’ the ‘big shots,’ the ‘voices of the race,’ were the waiters at the Lansing Country Club and the shoeshine boys,” proving that the black race has not advanced beyond serving the white race (X, 8). Though Washington insisted that everyone who took jobs in service would “in the end, make his way,” none of the people who got menial jobs have elevated themselves (Washington, 75). However, Washington’s original plan has become hegemonic, convincing the black population of America that jobs serving the white population are the epitome of success. The fact that the people who have jobs in service are very well respected in the black community reveals an acceptance of subservience, caving to the pressure of hegemony. In contrast to the rest of his race, X condemns Washington’s theory and rebels against the widely accepted idea that a job as a service worker is prestigious. He mocks the “‘successful’” workers. X’s views on the careers of black people contrast with the ideas of the rest of the country (8). In this scenario, the black population of Lansing Michigan who believe that success comes from serving white people represent the afterthought, put in place by society’s hegemony, while X’s condemnation of this belief represents the thought. By representing the country’s thought and condemning Washington’s values, X establishes that he is much more like Du Bois than Washington.
Works Cited:
X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: One World/Ballantine, 1992. Print.

Washington, Booker T. Up from Slavery. N.p.: Dover Publications, 1995. Print.

Re: G block Textual Response for Chapter 1

jtimms 12 Oct 2013 03:53

Great paragraph Jane, I enjoyed reading it very much. I think that you do a good job describing Washington's POV and how the menial jobs X mentions represent the hegemonic expectations and thoughts. However, while you relate those menial jobs to the expectations that african-americans have of themselves (their afterthought), I believe that you could make your argument stronger and more clear by explicitly defining the hegemony in this context. You also might prove more directly how you know these hegemonic expectations influence X by citing some related quotes. For example, X describes that "[blacks] heard [the racist remarks] so much they've almost gotten brainwashed into believing it - or at least accepting it" (X, 36). In the same way that the afterthought represents the critical voice of society on the individual, X argues that hegemonic expectations (racist remarks) seep into the minds of many of his people and make them neutral or unaffected by those remarks. X realizes that suddenly, the self-critical "psychic message" that really comes from the white-dominated society seems to come "from within [him]self" (36). Another example of the hegemonic expectations at work on X is the "wall" that X describes whenever he was in "potentially intimate situations" with white girls (37). Finally, you say that "X's condemnation of [the belief that success comes from serving] represents the thought", in terms of Du Bois' thought/afterthought theory (Jane). I would disagree. I believe that the "thought" of an african-amercian would be that they could take any job that they strive for (such as X's desire to be a lawyer) after they show that they are capable. Instead of condemnation, the thought would be Malcolm's shattered dreams of lawyering.

Re: G block Textual Response for Chapter 1

jtimms 12 Oct 2013 03:54

whoops: X, Malcolm. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Comp. Alex Haley. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1964. Print.

Last edited on 28 Oct 2013 04:10 by jtimms Show more

Re: G block Textual Response for Chapter 1

Leah Gray 17 Oct 2013 01:21

In response to Jane's original comment, I think it is interesting, now that we have read more, to see how X has fallen back on some of Washington's methods. We saw how he condemns Washington's advocacy of low level aspirations, but it seems that later on he employs some of the same tactics that Washington uses such as deception. A major goal of Washington's was to convince blacks that their way to economic power was through the deception of whites. This manifests itself through his process of having blacks become a necessity in society. X takes a different approach, using hustling, specifically in chapters 3 and 7, as the way to get into the whites' pockets. During his job on the train X claims, "it didn't take me a week to learn that all you had to do was give white people a show and they'd buy anything you offered them" (89). X, similar to Washington, takes advantage of his position in society to make the whites' feel that they are benefiting from this position, inclining them to "pay liberally, even dearly, for the impression of being catered to and entertained. X becomes a master at the art of seeming important and providing whites' with what they need. When he works as a shoeshiner he learns that towels are "your best hustle in here," waiting until people leave the bathroom then offering them a towel for "at least a nickel tip" (56). Similarly, he learns to "make the shine rag pop like a firecracker" so that the whites' believe that he is "knocking [him]self out" and tip more (57). Using these Washingtonian methods, I think while X might want to seem more like Du Bois, he resembles a certain deception in Washington's path.

Re: G block Textual Response for Chapter 1

AbigailDunn 19 Oct 2013 05:40

I agree that X employs Washington’s technique of appeasing whites to get what he wants. To add to they point you made, Leah, it is interesting to consider X’s relationship to the police. After X robs a house, the police see him and his friends driving away with their car full of stolen items and begin to follow them. X, getting out of the car and walking up to the policemen, “ask[s] them, bumbling [his] words like a confused Negro, if they could tell [him] how to get to a Roxbury address” (167). X pretends that he is stupid and lesser, showing the whites exactly what they expect to see from an African-American. And X is successful in deceiving the white officers; “they told me, and we, and they, went on about our respective businesses” (167). He is able to evade trouble by pretending to be ignorant and less capable than white because he knows “the white man is rare who will ever consider that a Negro can outsmart him” (167).

Works consulted
The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley

Re: G block Textual Response for Chapter 1

kuni_migimatsu 17 Oct 2013 02:36

While thinking about your comment, Jane, I too found it interesting that some of Malcolm X's ideas in the story agree with some of Washington's ideas. Now that we are further into the text, X reveals more about the racial separation. Although white women marry white men for "convenience and security," they fall in love with black men with "'taboo' lust," implying there is still a barrier between the two races that has not yet been resolved (111). I agree that the black race has not yet found success by finding jobs, but I also find it interesting how X begins traveling to Roxbury, or the "town ghetto section," where he feels more "relaxed among Negroes" (51). I think that X has the choice of pushing himself forward towards success by finding higher position jobs such as a lawyer, but he chooses instead to travel to Roxbury where he is equal rather than "better than any other Negro" (51).

X, Malcolm and Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: One World Books, 1992.

Re: G block Textual Response for Chapter 1

oliviabutze 19 Oct 2013 17:41

The comparison of Washington to X is even more interesting to me now that we have read both chapters 10 and 11. Through these chapters, we explore the extent to which X turns to literature and writing to educate himself in order to be a better advocate for his newfound religion, two skills that Washington felt were foolish for blacks to learn. X realizes that he "never [has] been so truly free in [his] life" as he is after he turns to reading and writing (199). Without these two skills, he was not "functional" and was "frustrated" (197). His development in education during his time in prison ironically makes him feel more free from the strains and pressures of society then he ever has before. He compares those who were "practically walking encyclopedias" to "celebrities," believing that those who can read and write have the potential to be major figures in society (200). Reading "chang[es] forever the course of [his] life," allowing him to better connect with the "deafness, dumbness, and blindness" that afflicts his race (206). The two skills that Washington criticized thoroughly are the same skills that cause X to change his perspective on the world around him and on what he needs to do to help those around him.

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcom X. New York: Ballantine, 1992. Print.

G block textual response to Ch. 1 #2

Thor Mott 09 Oct 2013 15:00

Note: my edition of Malcolm X is for some reason different than others, and so has way different page numbers.

A repeated idea in ch. 1 is that of "'good' Negros" (X, 79). "'Good' Negros" is a term used by white people and is contextually defined as black people who could potentially be corrupted by the influence of those like X's father, Earl Little. The term is used multiple times, first by the Ku Klux Klan riders, who say "[X's family] had better get out of town because 'the good Christian white people' were not going to stand for [X's] father's 'spreading trouble' among the 'good' Negros," then by the Black Legionnaires who say Malcolm's father is "spreading unrest and dissension among 'the good niggers'" (X, 79, 81). The chapter, however, reveals no example of what a "'good' Negro" is besides what he refers to as "bragging, self-satisfied, 'middle-class' Lansing Negroes" who take "menial" jobs and are considered "'big shots'" for it (X, 83, 84).

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: One World/Ballantine, 1992. Print.

Re: G block textual response to Ch. 1 #2

rfriedman 15 Oct 2013 05:33

I think the idea of "good negros" is really interesting. Read by a black audience X's dissatisfaction with "good negros" could be extremely offensive. At the end of chapter two when X thanks Allah for his path that steered away from being a "good negro" is a real slap in the face to these people who were probably just trying to make a living and support their families. I also think the fact that by thanking Allah X is making the decision not to be a "good negro" have more weight, and further shows how wrong African Americans who are "good" are.

Re: G block textual response to Ch. 1 #2

Max Sigerman 15 Oct 2013 06:22

Presumably, the "good" negroes in this context would be the ones who didn't the hate groups didn't feel threatened or encroached by. Their hate is perpetuated by the fact that the blacks can't fight back, since the law is on the side of whites. This was in part why Washington can so easily communicate with white crowds. When he encourages blacks to take up trade jobs, he doesn't describe blacks ascending into the white's level of success. Therefore, whites feel comfortable with these "good negroes" in simple "menial" jobs, who don't offer a competitive or social threat.
X's father receives hatred in Lansing because he breaks the white's comfortable feeling of superiority. When preaching, he slowly builds the black population's confidence. He does so particularly when spreading the word of Marcus Garvey, and stressing "becoming independent of the white man" (5). This spike in energy that he creates in his community is precisely what arouses the anger in the Black Legionnaires, as he is raising the menial people past a comfortable level of subservience.

Re: G block textual response to Ch. 1 #2

kuni_migimatsu 21 Oct 2013 05:05

While I do agree that the "good Negroes" would be the blacks who do not protest against the white race, I also think that the text integrates sarcasm when emphasizing the word "good" (1). Instead of quoting an entire phrase of words, such as the "good Christian white people," he quotes "spreading trouble" among the "'good' Negroes" (1). I think that he begins the book with these quotes, acknowledging the presence of the white perspective of the blacks. I find this moment particularly interesting because he also mentions the Ku Klux Klan attacked his father for helping Marcus Garvey with the "back to Africa" plan (1). I did some quick research and I found a stronger controversy about Marcus Garvey from the black perspective rather than the white perspective. Marcus Garvey was not successful in his attempt to promote his idea, but the cause of his demotion was partially due to the outside criticism he received as he discussed his ideas with the Ku Klux Klan. I find it strange how X's father would be killed, even though he helped Garvey promote his idea.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/garvey/sfeature/sf_forum_1.html

X, Malcolm and Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: One World Books, 1992.

Textual Response for Chapter 2

Katherine Daifotis 10 Oct 2013 05:13

*My book may have different pages*

Hegemony as a reoccurring theme in Malcolm X is present in Chapter 2 at first with X’s self-proclaimed title as a “mascot” (27). At his school, X is selected to be the class president, but for all the wrong reasons as most of the white students see him as a “novelty” and “in demand” (29). Since the great majority of his school is white, X stands out and is targeted by white students whom make fun of his darker skin color simply because he looks different than they do. Regretfully, X falls into the trap of wanting to assimilate into the mainstream white culture of his school and ends up “trying so hard…to be white” (33). In hindsight, X views this effort as “wasting his time straining to ‘integrate,’” while simultaneously (through writing this autobiography) warning other black people to not follow his initial homogenizing step (33). Additionally, he rejects being a “pet” and strives to prove that he is a “human being” though he recognizes “they never did really see [him]” (28). Once X realizes he will never truly be accepted into the overwhelmingly white school and treated as an equal among his peers, he begins to reconsider his position. X’s conversations with Mr. Ostrowski ultimately are the final straw for him and prompt his moving to Boston with Ella. When X talks to Mr. Ostrowski, he acknowledges that the man “probably meant well,” but rejects his teacher’s narrow prediction for his life (37). Mr. Ostrowski strongly urges X to be “realistic” and mindful of the “kind of future ‘in [his] place’” as a black man in the small town of Mason (38, 37). Mr. Ostrowski predicts X as taking menial jobs and not straying out of the social boundaries imposed by the white hegemony on blacks. Mr. Ostrowski represents a larger group of white people restricting black progress in order to keep blacks contained in an inferior position below the white supremacy. However, X demands more of himself and recognizes that he will not be able to advance himself in Mason and must move to Boston to do so.

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: The Random House Publishing Group, 1999. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

Zoe C L 13 Oct 2013 17:06

I really like your analysis of the hegemony placed on X, Katherine. I thinks its especially interesting that, as you mentioned in the incident with Mr. Ostrowski, the hegemonic pressures put on X are based on the assumption that he will stay in small-town Michigan. As you said, X sees this hegemony coming and flees to Boston in an attempt to find more opportunity for himself to succeed beyond the limited achievements of blacks in Mason. However, I don’t think X successfully escapes hegemony by moving to Boston. X still cannot reconcile the success he sees in Boston with his own ambitions: he hates the upper class Hill blacks, who have really just learned to imitate whites. X sees these people as “only the big-city version of those ‘successful’ Negro boot-blacks and janitors back in Lansing. The only difference was that the ones in Boston had been brainwashed even more thoroughly” (X, 48). For X, the Hill is not an escape but instead contains a different breed of hegemony he must battle with. X is unsatisfied with the gentrified black community, and flees once again to Boston’s black ghetto, and later Harlem.

X, Malcolm and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

Andrew Grossfeld 14 Oct 2013 20:00

I agree with both of you, Zoe and Katherine, that there is definitely hegemonic pressure placed upon X, and that it makes him believe that he must flee for Boston. I think it is also interesting that later, when in Boston, he still cannot escape these pressures. Granted in Boston, the hegemony he faces is a little different. I think that while there, his "conk" symbolizes the hegemony that he unknowingly at the time gives into. He says, "my hair now looking, 'white,' reflected in the mirror in Shorty's room." (64). In hindsight later, X realizes the pressures that he gave into and states, "This was my first really big step towards self-degradation: when I endured all of that pain, literally burning my flesh to have it look like a white man's hair. I had joined that multitude of Negro men and women in America who are brainwashed into believing that the black people are 'inferior'…" (64).

X, Malcolm and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

DelaneyJ 16 Oct 2013 05:08

Looking back on chapter two after reading through chapter six, it is interesting to me that X rejects being a pet after the incidents at his school and yet is still willing to treat women as pets most apparently in chapter four and chapter six. In chapter four, X describes Sophia as a type of "mascot" by saying that he didn't have money to buy a car but Sophia did and "[X] had her, which was even better" (80). Having her around as a "mascot" increases his status. "It was when I began to be seen around town with Sophia that I really began to mature into some real status in black downtown Roxbury" (80). Even though Malcolm X decided that he was done being a mascot after chapter 2, I would argue that he doesn't have a problem making other people, specifically women, "mascots."

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: The Random House Publishing Group, 1999. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

Lindsay Allison 17 Oct 2013 13:52

One does have to recognize, however, the fact that X undergoes a significant change between chapter two and four/six. Previously, he recognizes his intelligence and knows that he could “become whatever [he wants] to be” (44). As the text progresses, however, X loses faith in his individuality and instead focuses on emulating whites. He goes as far as to state that he is “uneducated and unskilled at anything honorable,” that he threw away his education in exchange for a “sterile mind” and the desirable appearance of “looking white ” (125, 89, 65). While I do agree that simply looking at those two distinct moments paints X as a hypocrite, I would instead argue that it was instead largely due to hegemony, rather than a disconnect in his morals. When creating “mascots” out of women in chapter four and six, X is an entirely different person, focused on Franklin’s American notion of industry rather than on his individuality. As X becomes deeply entrenched in a white man’s society, he loses sight of his fundamental connection to individuality and the ability to pull himself out of black hegemony and stereotypes through his individual intellect. Therefore, rather than a hypocritical portrayal of X, the contrast between the two scenes demonstrates his lack of connection to transcendent thought for he has succumbed to hegemony.

X, Malcolm and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Textual Response for Chapter 2

Yamyamyams 14 Oct 2013 05:37

Malcolm X was unable to fit in with the white or black way of life in east lansing, causing him to get on a bus to live with his sister in Boston. When Malcolm X lost to the white Bill Peterson in a boxing match, Malcolm X knew that his boxing “career was over” because losing in a boxing match ruined Malcolm X’s “reputation in the Negro neighborhood” (29). Malcolm X understood that he could never fit in with the blacks in East Lansing because he was a worse athlete than a white man and athletics was all black people had during that time. It was the only place where “a Negro could whip a white man and not be lynched” (29). His loss caused him to be shunned by the entire black community and his brother who could never look him in the eye after the fight. Malcolm X then tried to fit in using his intelligence, but he was excluded from the white way of life as well. Malcolm X understood that he could not fit in with white society when his teacher, Mr. Ostrowski told him to be “realistic about being a nigger” when Malcolm X shared that he wanted to be a lawyer (43). Malcolm X was reminded by his teacher, Mr. Ostrowski that a black man could only do menial jobs in society and should not aspire to work jobs reserved for white people. Malcolm X recognized that he did not fit in or feel comfortable in Lansing, so he got on a bus to Boston to go live with his sister.

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: One World/Ballantine, 1992. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

Krish Chinai 14 Oct 2013 22:43

I agree with this argument, and would like to add that as he was shunned by others, he also took part in this detachment of himself. For example, he describes that he could "sense it almost as a physical barrier" (36). However, he said that while this barrier came from others, it also came "from within myself" (36). These two quotations are significant because it shows that X played a role in separating himself from white people, and even contributing to his own hegemonic role in society. However, this separation is different when he is isolated due to his losing to a white boy in boxing. Instead of self inflicting the isolation, it comes as a result of losing the match, and ends up harming his relationship with other blacks in his area, including the brother. Overall, in the chapter "Mascot," the changes of X's status based on interactions with different races and his own actions separating himself from the whites is important in understanding X's role in society.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

Katherine Baughman 15 Oct 2013 03:38

I agree with both Yamyamyams and Krish in their beliefs that Malcolm X attempts to mask and reject his true identity by conforming to the ways of his white community. I think, additionally, it's also important to note that in Lansing, Malcolm X and his family are practically "the only Negroes in the area," not including the Lyonses (X, 12). Until he reunites with Ella and leaves Lansing to live with her in Boston, X doesn't fully acknowledge the racist behavior constantly present in his community. As a result, he believes the only way to thrive in life is "in every way [he] could, to be white" (38). However, in seeing Ella, a woman who embraces and embodies her skin color, X discovers the possibility of "being a real part of a mass of [his] own kind," and pursues a life with her in Boston (42). As Yamyamyams noted, X begins distancing himself from whites following his disturbing conversation with English teacher, Mr. Ostrowski. He finally understands that despite his superior marks in school, he is prohibited from pursuing the same jobs as his fellow classmates because "[he] was still not intelligent enough, in their eyes, to become whatever [he] wanted to be," due to his color (44). Malcolm X attempts to be as white as possible in his time in Lansing because he has been raised to do so. Only after meeting Ella and realizing a world beyond Lansing exists does X begin to acknowledge the racial problems in his community, and search for a different, better life for himself.

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

jeffsymonds 15 Oct 2013 03:42

My favorite line on the wiki so far: "I agree with 'YamYamYams.'"

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

rfriedman 15 Oct 2013 05:45

For some reason my IPad will not let me respond to Katie and for that reason I shall write under Krish. But this one goes put to Katie…
Katie, you did a great job describing the steps it took X to understand the racial issues in his community. I think it is really important to understand how he got to the understand he is now at and highlight his change. I also really liked how you used the word "disturbing" to describe X's conversation with his teacher. I think that turkey captures the moment and the twisted feelings that follow X and the reader afterward. Reading through chapter six it is interesting to see how X's feelings toward race and white people in general continue to shift. It is clear X is longer doing all he can to be white, however showing off a white female on his arm still makes him feel cool and give him street credit. I am interested to see how X's relationship to race will continue to evolve through out the book.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

rfriedman 15 Oct 2013 05:46

Well this is embarrassing it did go under Katie. Sorry all…

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

Elise Ferguson 16 Oct 2013 04:38

X employs symbols to represent his psychological change after conversing with Mr. Ostrowski. The text break near the bottom of page 44 signifies the veil that X constructs between him and whites. In the following paragraph, X states that "none of [the Swerlins] could understand why…I wasn't happy there anymore" (44-45). The Swerlins' inability to understand X's emotions suggests an invisible wall between the races, one which X has consciously created. Immediately following the explanation of his shift in thinking, X describes his move to Boston in order to link the physical change with the psychological. He claims that "no physical move in [his] life has been more pivotal or profound in its repercussions" (45). In expressing the factors that contributed to his change in mindset, X credits both his own initiative and the new culture he experienced in Boston.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

Matt Brock 16 Oct 2013 05:29

I found your connection between Du Bois's veil and the instance where the Swerlins could not understand why X was not happy anymore particularly interesting. I would like to go even further by arguing that X is subconsciously attempting to transcend beyond this veil imposed on blacks. In this instance, X emulates two of Du Bois's three forms of social protest which are: revolt and revenge and self awareness. Clearly, X is very aware of the stereotypes of blacks in America which demonstrates self awareness and a broader sense of knowledge regarding the progression of blacks in American Society. Also, X understands that "no physical move in [his] life has been more pivotal or profound in its repercussions" (45), which makes it apparent to the reader that despite the type of revolt or revenge, there will be repercussions because of the racial instability in America. I find it very interesting that there are so many connections to the books that we have previously read in Af Am 1 thus far. I wonder if progressively more connections will evolve between the various texts as we delve deeper into them.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

AbigailDunn 20 Oct 2013 05:36

I disagree with your claim that “X is subconsciously attempting to transcend beyond this veil imposed on blacks.” X seems to suggest that when Mr. Ostrowski told him to be “realistic” and “think about something you can be,” he becomes unhappy because he subconsciously succumbs to hegemony (43). He “drew away from white people,” not wanting to associate with people who believe he is interior. His move to Boston marks the moment when he cannot stand the racism he is experiencing any longer. Had he been conscious of and able to fight against the white hegemony, it seems probable that he would have stayed in Mason. However, X’s running away to the north is an escape, not as attempt to overcome (or transcend) hegemony.

In my opinion, only as an adult recalling his past and writing his autobiography is X able to realize that he was encountering hegemony.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 2

PierceF 16 Oct 2013 07:57

I must commend Yamyamyams on their thoughtful analysis. I do ask, perhaps rhetorically, why the tenacious character of Malcolm X is simply willing to admit defeat in the early portion of the text. Instead of fighting authority and their preconceived perceptions tooth-and-nail like in subsequent chapters, X instead resolves to leave town and travel to Boston instead. Much like how he stops boxing after a bit of adversity, the conversation with Mr. Ostrowski can likewise be viewed as one instance of acceptance. The singular moment, a "major turning point of [his] life," is painted as his first realization of a corrupted system unable to be altered (43). Despite some subconscious rebellion after visiting Boston initially, when he encounters a newfound "restlessness with being around white people," X still seems a rather meek character early on (42). Possibly in an instance of Design vs. Truth, this might be an intentional decision to juxtapose his later growth and domineering attitude. After years of white hegemonic power instilling in him a sense of intellectual subservience, X doesn't even think to rationally debate or disagree with his teacher's comments that he must "be realistic" and remain "in [his] place" (43, 43). In Du Boisian ideology, one must intelligently disagree and stand up for one's rights; however, as X is not raised in such a climate, he defaults to an attitude of acceptance.

Textual Response for Chapter 5

PierceF 16 Oct 2013 08:21

Malcolm X switches between siding ideologically with Washington and Du Bois, pointing out inherit problems in such single-minded frames of the world. In order to earn money, X “giv[es] white people a show and they… buy anything” he sells, demonstrating that the variable is his methods, not the product (88). He describes his world as one of “Negros who are both servants and psychologists,” due to the necessity to understand authority and seek to exploit its flaws (88). Pandering to people’s inherit race prejudices of black inferiority and craze, according to X, is simpler and yields more profits than attempting to fight the system. Economically, such a mindset seems molded from Washington, who suggests that African Americans are better suited to cast down their buckets into established manual industry, ones that whites already associate with the race. Conversely, in other locations, Malcolm appears sympathetic towards Du Bois’ vision of America. By conveying that intelligent African Americans are “victims of the white man’s American social system,” X suggests that society’s artificial limits upon equal treatment and civil rights impede the possibilities of economic betterment (104). Subsequently, he also dismisses the conk as an “emblem of… shame that [an individual] is black,” and thus undermines Washington’s calls for societal integration (65). Neither Washington nor Du Bois can completely describe the social dynamic X faces in the text. To get ahead as an individual and a race, it is necessary to fuse the two ideologies. Social adjustments must be made in tandem with economic adjustments in order to assure a more secure life for others that share his skin color.

X, Malcolm and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Last edited on 16 Oct 2013 08:24 by PierceF Show more

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 5

Lindsay Allison 17 Oct 2013 01:33

While the conk symbolizes the hegemonic pressure X feels, this moment is particularly interesting because the audience receives a metatextual reflection on the situation from X himself. Like Pierce mentioned, the conk is “the emblem of his shame that he is black,” suggesting that although in the moment, the conk was a means by which X could connect with the African American past, in hindsight, it seems like it was an inhibitor (65). The fact that this moment is a metatextual reflection suggests the layers of analysis that both the reader and X have to do in order to uncover the meaning of each individual moment. Moreover, the conjuncture between the truth and the design of the novel further nuances the conjuncture Pierce describes between Du Bois and Washington’s visions. While the “emblem” of X’s blackness is his Du Bois-ian reflection on the originally Washington-ian moment of connecting with whiteness, it is simultaneously a reflection of the limitations of X’s vision; that he strictly defines the conk as an "emblem of shame" for all blacks suggests that he assumes that his personal truths are universal (65). This complication is directly related to the complication of the authorship of the novel; by defining a universal truth about conks, X reminds his author to be weary of both his spoken opinions and the authenticity of the authorial voice. The fallacies of X’s arguments serve as a reminder of the division between the truth of the moment and the truth as it is related by Haley; the audience must use caution when distinguishing between both the authoritative voice of the novel and the validity of the X’s statements.

X, Malcolm and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Last edited on 17 Oct 2013 01:35 by Lindsay Allison Show more

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 5

SarahWilkins 17 Oct 2013 02:54

I definitely agree with Pierce’s analysis that X believes in parts of both Washington and DuBois’ ideologies. I think that this makes for one of the more interesting themes of the book because some of the beliefs which he holds are so contrary in nature. Overall, however, for the chapters that we have read, I think that X adopts a more Washingtonian philosophy because makes no attempts to overcome a racist system that forces him to forgo his hopes of being a lawyer at a very young age. Instead, X becomes “schooled very well” in “con games of many kinds” because, as he points out, “everyone in Harlem need[s] some kind of hustle to survive” (97, 106). However, I think that there will be a major shift away from acting on Washington’s ideas and towards DuBois’ just because of the way that X views his younger self. I think that the nature of the confessional narrative and the fact that he can view his actions with such clarity (and use his past to form an argument about his life) show that he now has the education and intellectual independence that signal that he has thrown off the veil of double consciousness which plagued DuBois.

X, Malcolm and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 5

oliviabutze 22 Oct 2013 04:02

After reading 11 and 12 it is interesting to see how much X begins to side with Du Bois. One of Du Bois' ideas is that the Kingdom of Knowledge should prevail over the Kingdom of Heaven. In chapter 12, X agrees with this after he begins worshipping Islam. He claims blacks have "accepted…embraced…believed…and practiced" the white man's definition of the black race's role in Christianity (231). X argues that the white man "enjoys his heaven right here…on this earth" while the black man over the years has been told to "keep [his] eyes fixed on the pie in the sky" (231). Whites consistently told blacks that their lives would get better once they died and were free in Heaven, while they themselves would be punished after death. Du Bois and X argue that the black man has no reason to accept this idea and that they should believe in their capabilities more. Both men turn to knowledge to improve not only their lives, but also those of others.

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcom X. New York: Ballantine, 1992. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Chapter 5

Feddy 28 Oct 2013 18:55

I politely disagree with Olivia. X's transformation in chapters 11 and 12 leads him to have a more Washingtonian idealogy, whcih can be see especially in chapter 12 and his speech for the Nation of Islam. In the speech, X acknowledges many of the problems that have and are separating whites and blacks, and is using the speech to fuel the fire from the side of black folks. He also talks about how the guilt of white people have not been acknowledged as hasn't been present in american society, and that the legal protection of whites over blacks has caused a tension in society and an unfairness that has been overlooked. Therefore i would argue that he has adapted a more Washingtonian idealogy, because he his arguing for blacks to break away and support themselves

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcom X. New York: Ballantine, 1992. Print.

F Block Textual Response for Ch. 3-6

Kennedy Placek 17 Oct 2013 03:08

Malcolm X struggles to find the balance between accepting racial divide and making the effort to cross the color line into the white community. While he criticizes blacks who attempt to integrate themselves into white society, he is guilty of it himself. He feels "more relaxed among Negroes who were being their natural selves and not putting on airs” yet ignores the fact that he is "just another among all of the conked and zooted youngsters" (51, 80). His hypocrisy is highlighted best in his relationships with both Laura and Sophia. X first takes interest in Laura because “she was just herself” and did not “put on airs like the others” of Roxbury Hill (71). His relationship with her, however, did not draw the attention he yearned for. At one of the Roseland black dances, X catches Sophia’s attention, a “white woman who wasn’t a known, common whore” (78). Though she “didn’t dance well” according to “Negro standards,” Malcolm is more concerned with the “staring eyes of other couples around [them]” (78). X accepts white superiority by referring to Sophia as "a status symbol of the first order" (78). He rejects Laura simply to "stand out in some envied way from the rest" (80). In doing so, however, he displays two conflicting parts of his character. On one hand, X restrains himself from losing his black identity; while on the other, X attempts to gain status in the "white man's American social system" by publicly flaunting his relationship with Sophia (104).

X, Malcolm and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print

Re: F Block Textual Response for Ch. 3-6

Anisa Lester 17 Oct 2013 05:21

I agree with Kennedy and I think her argument relates back to Pierce’s point. Malcolm X struggles between upholding the Du Boisian view versus the Washingtonian view because while he strives to fight the racial divide he also falls victim to the hegemony. X hates blacks for “trying to imitate white people” and feels they have become “brainwashed” (48). X makes it clear that he doesn’t like blacks that act “superior” when they actually work as “menials and servants” (49). This view aligns closely with Du Bois’ beliefs in that X does not want blacks to compromise themselves to a status of servants, confirming the white supremacy. Yet even though X implies an agreement with Du Boisian values he constantly succumbs to the belief of white supremacy. As Kennedy mentions when X realizes Sophia’s influence on his status after he feels “the staring eyes of other couples” he is unwilling to let her go, because he realizes the power he can gain with her by his side. The conk, which is “as straight as any white man’s,” confirms the sense of white supremacy that has infiltrated into X’s mind (64). Malcolm X subconsciously follows a Washingtonian view of his race in that to gain power and status he attempts to comply with the white race by emulating them and confirming their supremacy. As Pierce mentions, X “makes the rag pop like a firecracker” because he understands the “white people [enjoy] a show” which also falls under Washington’s economic focus (57,88). In each of these moments X is sticking to the Washingtonian value of economic success and succumbing to white supremacy to gain power and status. X constantly moves back and forth between the two different views and while he wants to solely uphold Du Bois’ values he subconsciously slips into Washington’s views.

Works Consulted:
X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: F Block Textual Response for Ch. 7

Katherine Baughman 18 Oct 2013 03:09

I agree with Kennedy's argument that Malcolm X contradicts himself by striving toward white hegemony, while simultaneously denouncing those who pursue the a similar integration. Adding on to her point, Malcolm X reveals his disgust over whites' sexual activities. Though he values Sophia for boosting his social status and contributing financially, he boasts that "negroes have no respect for the whites they get into bed with. I know the way I felt about Sophia, who still came… whenever I called her" (X, 140). X describes the preferred pleasures of the older, rich white man. Because they "could afford to spend large amounts of money for two, three, or four hours indulging their strange appetites," these men would hire the blackest women to fulfill their desires (137). Such men feared risking their reputations by being seen publicly with blacks, and "did not want it known that they had been anywhere near Harlem" (136). X mocks the white men comprising the highest social class, wondering "who has the world's lowest morals if not… the 'upper class' whites!" (140). X believes that to survive in the white society, as Kennedy said, "everyone in Harlem needed some kind of hustle," and were forced to do unimaginable tasks simply to stay alive (106).

X, Malcolm and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: F Block Textual Response for Ch. 3-6

SarahWilkins 18 Oct 2013 19:00

Kennedy, I really like your point about the hegemonic struggles that X has to face in this autobiography, and I think that the fact that this book is an autobiography and not a novel makes the struggle all the more real and complex. It is interesting to analyze the X who wrote this book with Haley and compare him to the teenage X who is obsessed with zoot suits and conking, even if it makes his scalp. I think that the nature of the narrative contributes a lot to what makes X seem hypocritical. What is interesting to me is that the teenage X is hypocritical by himself, but when you combine the voice of the teenage X with that of the adult X, he seems even more hypocritical because his opinion on- an ability to overcome- hegemonic ideals completely changed. As X writes about his days when his “ignorance” made him “think [he] was ‘sharp’” and the times that he was “schooled” in Ed Small’s bar, his vantage point makes his younger self seem even more naive and wrapped up in the hegemonic conventions of the day (87, 91).

X, Malcolm and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print

Re: F Block Textual Response for Ch. 3-6

Andrew Grossfeld 22 Oct 2013 03:33

I agree with Kennedy and Anisa. I believe that all the way up to the time that X is arrested, he struggles between Washington's and Du Bois' proposed identities for black people. He talks about "errand boys," from "the Hill," and says that he is amazed, "how so many Negros, then and now, could stand the indignity of that kind of self-delusion." (49). By making this claim, X is critiquing an approach to fitting in to society that is decidedly Washingtonian, but he too cannot escape the pressures of hegemony. He succumbs to a different identity created by white people for him. In his discussion about the jobs that black people can have, he suggests that they can either be like these white-emulating black people or hustle. He says, "In the ghettoes the white man has built for us, he has forced us not to aspire to greater things, but to view everyday living as survival," (105). Even though X acknowledges that the "hustler," identity of black people is not self-created by the black community, he still plays the game that white people allow him to, and fulfills an illegitimate version of Washington's plan.

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

Zoe C L 17 Oct 2013 04:59

Malcolm X’s journey to Boston, and later Harlem, is motivated by a desire to find a place where black “success” is more than just working under successful whites. Unfortunately, X does not find this in the supposedly dignified Sugar Hill blacks. Their imitation of whites is so deplorable to X that he turns to another world entirely: hustling. In his search for a place where Du Bois-ian opportunity is available to blacks, X instead becomes wrapped up in a society so focused on money it is inherently Washingtonian. Simply put, there is no reason to participate in these illegal trades other than monetary gain, making hustlers no better than the “square that kept on believing they could ever get anything by slaving” (161). In fact, the hustlers may be worse, because although they have an incredible work ethic “hustling day and night,” there is nothing ethical about the work they do (155). The hustler community creates its own world with its own rule and hierarchy: “some young hustlers rose in stature in our world when they somehow hoodwinked older hustlers” (147). However, this world is not a pleasant place. Instead, it is a life so brutal that hustlers must stay high to make it through each day, “the hustlers’ characteristic of keying up on dope to do a job” (150). Not only is the daily routine dreaded, but there is nothing to look forward too: this world leaves no room for true fulfillment, just as Washington leaves no room for blacks to progress beyond menial jobs and manual labor. There is never a future in hustling, but instead two equally unappealing ends: “one took the Dead on Arrival ride to the morgue, and the other went to prison for manslaughter or the electric chair for murder” (147).

X, Malcom and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

Mpereira 18 Oct 2013 18:50

Zoe, I completely agree with you. X’s move to Boston was motivated by a DuBoisian desire to uncover deeper meaning. When in Lansing, X realizes that at age fourteen, he has hit his ceiling. He elaborates on this sentiment when he says “If I had stayed on in Michigan, I would probably have married one of those Negro girls I knew and liked in Lansing. I might have become one of those state capitol building shoeshine boy… or gotten one one of the other menial jobs which, in those days, among Lansing Negroes, would have been considered ‘successful’” (43). In Lansing, whites have created a box for black people to fit into, and the only choice that black people have is to either submit to this hegemonic afterthought, or to escape. X chooses the latter, and ventures to the city, where he seeks a place that is more conducive to producing a style of living closer to the thought.
Eventually, X relocates to Harlem, where he fails to find this agency that he so deeply desires. However, this is where I differ from your argument, Zoe; X’s actions are not defined by a Washingtonian desire for success, but by a DuBoisian sense of double-consciousness. White society gives him an ultimatum: embrace this rough, hard, ghetto life-style, or submit to white power. Spurning and hating those blacks “who are brainwashed into believing that the black people are ‘inferior’— and white people are ‘superior’— [to the point] that they will even violate and mutilate their God-created bodies to try and look ‘pretty’ by white standards”, X completely and utterly embraces this label (62). As a result, he becomes so deeply entrenched in Harlem’s hustle, that his fanatical and zealous use of drugs, violence, and deceitful means are actually a means to accomplish this DuBoisian belief in transcendence. X claims that “everyone in Harlem needs some kind of hustle” to survive; not because they wanted to, but rather because everyone has been presented with this same ultimatum (106). White hegemony is so powerful that the community in Harlem, who like X, actively try and live beyond the reach of its touch, are forced to take drastic measures to financially and emotionally survive.

X, Malcom and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

DelaneyJ 21 Oct 2013 01:35

I agree that while X was writing his autobiography, he was trying to make a connection to Washington and Dubois when describing the hustlers vs. the hill people but I don’t think that this mirror actually works. X describes the hill people as “the 400” which has a direct correlation to the talented tenth but the hill people are not what Dubois was trying to create. Dubois believed in using education to eliminate the veil and the hill people are still very much wearing the veil. Also, while Washington wanted blacks to start by doing simple jobs to get money and not interfere with the white supremacy, he didn’t believe in “hustling” of any kind or the use of illegal jobs to get money.

X, Malcom and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

Thor Mott 22 Oct 2013 00:16

I really like the point that Michelle makes about Lansing creating a sort of "box" for black people that creates only two options for blacks: to submit or to escape. That analysis opens a door to drawing a parallel between that "box" and slavery. X, although he isn't leaving any responsibilities in Lansing, has a mind much like Jacobs' when he decides to move to Boston. Jacobs ultimately goes to the North to escape the "box" that she sees as being established for black slaves in the South, which not only has decided her own fate, but has also predetermined the futures of her children. X goes to Boston for reasons he "found [he] couldn't" describe, but the timing of his departure in relation to his lawyer conversation with Mr. Ostrowski, as well as the bitterness he holds to the conversation, saying, "If I had stayed…I might have…even become a carpenter," makes it clear that that conversation is what brought the "box" into focus for X, and what showed him that he could not stay in Lansing any longer (37, 40).

X, Malcom and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

JordanG 25 Oct 2013 20:58

Rereading Ian's argument, I feel he provides a foreshadowing of the way the X operates within the text. It seems an underlying theme within all of these chapters lies in the hegemonic all pressures placed on him depending on which "box" he chooses. However, I am willing to take the argument a step in a different direction. Each place that X moves, the "box" grows, and he becomes exponentially more successful than he would have in the last scenario. In Lansing his peak, according to Mr. Ostrowski was "[to] become a carpenter"(40). When he moves to Boston he now has the ability to become a social butterfly and have ballrooms chant his name, partially due to "[his own ] reputation" (51). As he moves forward he dominates the social construct that governs him until he reaches a bubbling point where he cannot progress any further and he moves on. These are two examples of the multiple X provides even after his conversion to Islam.

X, Malcom and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

Julia Maxwell 21 Oct 2013 04:43

Zoe definitely presents a thoughtful analysis about how X's life becomes completely consumed by the world of hustling; however, I would like to challenge her assertion that X has no reason to participate in illegal trading other than simply for monetary gain.  If the sole reason X was hustling was to make enough money to live and if he really dreaded the hustling lifestyle, he would have stopped hustling as soon as he gained enough money to get back on his feet and get a real, legal job.  However, once X enters the world of hustling, the thrill of risk, the attainment of pride and honor and the lifestyle of being constantly high on drugs entices him; he becomes completely sucked in.  "I kept turning over my profit, increasing my supplies, and I sold reefers like a wild man…I felt, for the first time in my life, that great feeling of free! Suddenly, now, I was the peer of the other young hustlers I had admired" (115).  The drugs that X stocks up on give him "an illusion of supreme well-being, and a soaring over-confidence in both physical and mental ability" which further pulls him into the thrills of the hustling world  (155).  
X's tone throughout these chapters is confident and boastful of his hustling abilities.  He takes pride in being able to show his younger brother, Reginald, the ways of the hustling world, and is proud that his younger brother "admired [his] living by [his] wits" (121).  X brags that "in those days, only three things in the world scared [him]: jail, a job, and the army" and insanely put a loaded put a loaded gun to his head "to show that [he's] not afraid to die" (121, 165). X's actions exemplify how, in the world of huslting, one's reputation, pride, and fearlessness are more important than how much money one makes.  "For a hustler in our sidewalk jungle, 'face' and 'honor' were important.  No hustler could have it known that he'd been 'hyped', meaning outsmarted or made a fool of"(147).  The pride of being the best most skilled, nervy hustler and living a risky life on the edge is unquestionably an important part of X's indenity at this point in the text.

X, Malcom and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print

Last edited on 21 Oct 2013 17:47 by Julia Maxwell Show more

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

Yamyamyams 29 Oct 2013 03:04

I agree with Zoe’s statement that Malcolm X’s actions as a hustler are ultimately Washintonian because Malcolm X became so focused on the the money and the allure of hustling, that he forgot about his original goal of advancing in society. Malcolm X laughs at the fact that “If I had stayed on in Michigan, I would probably have married one of those Negro girls I knew and liked in Lansing. I might have become one of those state capitol building shoeshine boy… or gotten one one of the other menial jobs which, in those days, among Lansing Negroes, would have been considered ‘successful’” (43). Although X scoffs at the fact that you could have been “successful” in lansing, X contributes even less to society by becoming a hustler. X only fills the black stereotype by engaging in jobs that stay hidden in the shadows and don’t contribute to society.

Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

oliviabutze 18 Oct 2013 01:16

Throughout the text, X creates a visual image that places blacks more equal to whites by displaying the latter race in some of their lowest moments, similar to Washington’s message in the Atlanta Exposition Address. Specifically in the last few chapters, X describes moments witnessed by Rudy. The “blueblood, pillar-of-society Aristocrat” X describes must be treated like a “baby,” and would do anything “to be ‘sensitive’” (Haley 161). A man that is idolized by many in the community due to his wealth is presented in the text as a perverted old man, one who is not able to control his sexual desires. The audience reading X’s work is destined to read this horrified and disgusted, lowering the man’s status in their minds. Similarly, he describes how “hypocritical” white men draw keys to “spend the night with the wife” of the key drawn (140, 141). While white men often degrade blacks, X claims that they have no right to, as they are just as bad, if not worse. White men are presented as disrespectful to their wives and families. In fact, a large number of men “seized in [a] raid” were “important social, financial and political figures” (141). X chooses to highlight the decisions made by these men high in society that force his audience to look at whites through a new perspective, and in turn lowers their status’ closer to that of blacks, if not lower. While X compares blacks to whites, Washington in his address compares blacks to foreigners, raising blacks in the white man’s eyes. His approach insists that blacks are not only more useful, but more American than outside races. Both of these men take advantage of lowering opposing races in order to promote their own and advocate for equality.

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcom X. New York: Ballantine, 1992. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

Leah Gray 18 Oct 2013 04:35

While I do agree with Olivia's point about X's attempt to portray whites and blacks equally in some instances, X also demonstrates a certain degradation of blacks. In a Washingtonian way, X condemns some blacks, specifically the ones in Boston, for trying to act as if they are of a higher intellectual standing than other blacks. He realizes that the blacks in Roxbury who identify as "high-class, educated, important Negroes" are, in reality, possessing similar jobs to what they consider lower-level blacks in Lansing (48). Rather than being "'cultured' 'dignified' and better off than their black brethren down in the ghetto," X calls them "brainwashed" into "breaking their backs to imitate white people" (48). X argues that although the blacks in Boston claim professional status, they usually work as "menials and servants" (49). So while I agree that X tries to lower whites to have an equal image to blacks, I don't think he is trying to promote his race because he frequently depreciates blacks standing in society and their own superior views of themselves.
X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcom X. New York: Ballantine, 1992. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

Katherine Daifotis 18 Oct 2013 04:53

Olivia, I really enjoyed how you showed blacks being presented as elevated to whites through portraying moments of white corruption. I agree with you and found similar moments of the white man’s depravity when X is working for a Harlem madam. Many of these men who X facilitated in these exchanges with the Harlem women “exercised guidance, influence and authority over others” similar to the “blueblood, pillar-of-society Aristocrat” men who live in Boston (123). X reflects on these men being “hypocritical” and having the “world’s lowest morals” arguing that blacks are wrongly accused and really it is the people running our country who are the most immoral (124-25). X mocks the white men “who had their private specialty desires catered to by Negroes” showing these men to be dependent on black women in order to fulfill their need “to be ‘sensitive’” (143). In both Harlem and Boston, X sees the same circumstance repeated with the highest white men exploiting the subordinate black women showing racial prejudice exists in both locations.

After seeing white men taking advantage of black women, it is ironic that when X gets arrested at the end of chapter nine, he gets bail set at $10,000 and Sophia and her sister get a much lower bail. X contributes this discrepancy to racial discrimination as the girls “worst crime was their involvement with Negroes” and not the actual burglarizing of people’s homes (152). X recalls the police being uninterested in the burglaries themselves and blinded by the fact that they could only see “that [they] had taken the white man’s women” (153). Now that the tables are turned, X and Shorty are seen as true criminals and the girls are seen as having been taken advantage of, even though they willingly went along with the burglary idea. By presenting these two moments back to back, X points out the hypocrisy and corruption in society, ultimately advancing the black race and demoting the white race.

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: The Random House Publishing Group, 1999. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

Zoe C L 21 Oct 2013 18:09

I agree that X employs a tactic of degrading whites in order to elevate blacks, as Katherine and Olivia discussed. I think this dynamic serves as a justification for X's deplorable conduct throughout the second section of the text. Through this lens, we as readers can view X as somewhat of a modern Robin Hood. X purposefully blends description of white perversion with accounts of his burglary operations to portray himself as a justice seeker, rather than a criminal. When X and his team rob the old man Rudy must sprinkle talcum powder on, X says "a cleaner job couldn't have been asked for" (165). This implies not only is the operation "clean'" in that they escape detection, but it is also, in X's mind, justified. In telling his story, X must expose his victims sins before he admits to his crimes. Furthermore, X portrays his white victims as asking to be robbed, saying "it was almost easy" (166). In X's depiction, whites are so self-obsessed they bring robbery upon themselves: "gullible women often took the girls all over their houses, just to hear them exclaiming over the finery" (166). By presenting the evils of both races, X is able to accurately detail his complete degradation while retaining his readers empathy.

X, Malcolm and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

rfriedman 22 Oct 2013 04:11

In class discussion today about the prison system, I brought up the point how even though X is committing a crime the reader does not associate X as an awful person or someone deserving a severe punishment. Zoe, you articulated that point perfectly in your response, saying that X portrays himself as a "modern day Robin Hood." X's consistent ability to make his "wrong" actions justified or seem cool or hip creates a sense of ease and trust for the reader. Even after X admits to his wrong doings the text continues to speak positively about the crimes X committed which further cements a feeling of ease with the reader. A positive readers view of X allows the text to continue to talk about illegal actions in an interesting, believable way

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

Matt Brock 23 Oct 2013 02:25

I agree with Rose's point about how we do not associate X as an awful person or someone deserving punishment. As I was reading these chapters, it did cross my mind that the choices that X made were not ethically correct, however, I didn't view these robberies in the same way that I view robberies today for a couple of reasons. One reason is that these robberies happened long ago and since X has died I don't view him as a threat in current life. Also, since X changed from being a cocaine snorting drug lord/robber to a person who changes his life around and becomes a very intellectual being, this transformation definitely changed my perspective on the actions X committed earlier in the book which helped make me not perceive X as a awful criminal.

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

Andrew Grossfeld 25 Oct 2013 19:55

I really like the "Modern Robin Hood" analogy, because in the text, Malcolm X is literally stealing things from the rich and feeding the underground black market of the poor. I think X also to a point, exaggerates the excess that the whites have in order to expand on this analogy. He says that during Christmas time, "people had expensive presents lying all over their houses," (166). Also, as was already pointed out, he says, "gullible women often took the girls all over their houses, just to hear them exclaiming over the finery," (166). By depicting the victims of his robbery as obsessed with material possessions and having such excess allows the reader to think less negatively of him even though he/she knows about X's wrong-doings.

X, Malcolm and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 1965. Print.

Re: Textual Response for Ch. 7-9

Yamyamyams 29 Oct 2013 04:02

While I do agree with Olivia’s point that X attempts to increase the social status of African Americans by degrading other races, I disagree that X’s ultimate goal for the African Americans is to be like whites. In fact, I believe that Malcolm X desires for African Americans to recreate society unlike the society that whites have created. X only attempts to appeal to the white population as a ploy in order to elevate the social status and thus the opportunities of all African Americans. X is still disgusted by whites, as he points out the disgusting game where white men draw keys in order to “spend the night with the wife” of the key drawn.

X, Malcolm, and Alex Haley. The Autobiography of Malcom X. New York: Ballantine, 1992. Print.

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