Malcom X's Coming to an Awareness of Language and Richard Rodriguez's Hunger of Memory: Aria - Essay Example

According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that on the example of Malcolm X' in his "Coming to An Awareness of Language" even the cruelest criminal comes across lingual challenges. He reflects his reminiscences about his realization of the important role of the language in the life of an individual. Really, language is a great power that, if used accordingly, can change human life. He was greatly impressed by a numerous quantity of words. He was astonished by the large volumes of vocabularies and thousands of words, containing in it.

He is too sincere when he claims that: "You couldn't have gotten me out of books with a wedge. Between Mr. Muhammad's teachings, my correspondence, my visitors… and my reading of books, months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life". It is incredible, that a severe criminal feels free only because of a power of words he experiences. These words are remarkable for the readers because they show that language norm should be followed by the members of the society.

In Richard Rodriguez's "Hunger of Memory: Aria" the reminiscences of a small boy, the Spanish-American, about school days, when he was obtruded to learn and to speak "public language of Los gringos". This boy did not have an essential experience of English language knowledge and language practicing. Moreover, this boy was positioned as a socially-disadvantaged boy. Both of his parents were Mexican immigrants and in spite of the fact that they had a stable work, they were socially oppressed. These people were strangers in America and the language of the country was strange to them.

Moreover, it should be noted that children in this family perceived the English language as something strange and "rarely heard in the house". On the one hand, the boy did not want to accept the English language as the public language, because it was strange for him. He thought that in such a way he betrayed the unity of his family and his society. He was often told by his parents: "You belong here. We are family members. Related. Special to one another". Therefore, Rodriguez describes the role of the language as the important factor of a sound social participation.

In other words, the immigrants need to adapt the language norms in order to assimilate into a foreign society. It should be noted that the author has a positive intention because he underlines that the country provides the immigrants with a steady job that is why the country has an opportunity to obtrude its lingual norms on the newcomers. Basically, the authors of both stories had a clear intention: to underline the important social role the language plays in the lives of people. It does not matter who you are and which social status you have, there is a need to confirm the social norms.

Language is a means connecting people; it is a means to widen our horizon and opportunities in the global society. Therefore, both of these texts play important roles of social indicators of language. Malcolm X differs from a young boy in the second story by his aspirations to know the language and in such a way become a free person. For a boy from the second story, public language knowledge restricts his rights and violates his family values and personal beliefs.