Alex Haley

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

1. IDEA 1

   A troubled childhood shaped him

   Malcolm X describes growing up as Malcolm Little in a family targeted by racist violence. After his father's death and his mother's breakdown, the family was split apart, and he lost faith that white society would treat him fairly.

2. IDEA 2

   He drifted into crime

   As a young man in Boston and New York, Malcolm became a hustler known as Detroit Red. He describes a life of street crime that eventually led to prison. Malcolm presents this part of his life as a time he later looked back on with regret.

3. IDEA 3

   Prison changed his life

   In prison, Malcolm educated himself by copying a dictionary and reading widely. He also joined the Nation of Islam, which gave his life discipline and purpose. Malcolm shows that reading opened his mind and gave him confidence to speak for himself.

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