Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is the story of the Black Muslim “leader” (he despised the term) Malcolm X and his controversial beliefs and teachings which eventually led to his 1965 assassination. While refusing to incorporate the inward gaze one sees more often in autobiographical works, the attention of Malcolm X is always directed outward toward the world, persistently striving to convince the reader of the “white man’s” constant oppression of the black race. Throughout his riveting telling of his life story and ever-changing beliefs, Malcolm X uses various types of language to further his outward effect on the reader, including argument and persuasion, humor, and metaphors.
Malcolm X’s frequent use of argument is very convincing and further persuades the reader to agree with his position. He constantly brings about extremely valid and true points through questions that seem to give the reader no other choice but to go along with him. He is extremely aggressive in...