THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X - Book Report/Review Example

[Your full June 21, Book Review “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” is a result of a series of interview that Alex Haley conducted with Malcolm X between 1963 and 1965. The book is a unique collection of an African American leader’s life experiences and tells how he spent his life in hatred of racial prejudice. The book is of much social value in this regard. It makes the readers realize how ghetto blacks lived their lives and why the image of the whites was devilish for them. The book focuses on social inequalities thereof and invokes an urge for some social action.

Chapter 1 (Nightmare) of the book makes us peep into Malcolm’s childhood and his experiences when his house was burnt down twice by the white and his father was killed. Racial prejudice has been the main focus in this chapter. We come to know about his youth from Chapter 2 (Mascot) which tells how Malcolm was expelled from the white junior high school and sent to detention home although he was a very bright student. He was told by his counselor not to become a lawyer because he was black. Chapter 3 (Homeboy) tells his experiences when he was living in Boston with his half-sister, Ella.

Author Haley has very well been successful in creating a unique piece of historical literature. He has described the charismatic personality of Malcolm X emerging from unawareness and anger, and has illustrated his leadership values that had been able to gain the black community respect and dignity. The literary qualities of Haley have made this book a magnificent piece of literature that must be read by everyone who has a judgment about Malcolm.