2/25/22 Major Post No. 1, The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Context: The first few chapters of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, one of which this scene is based off of, primarily discuss Malcolm’s interactions with white people as a child. Malcolm recollects others casually referring to him with the use of the n-word, which he never found particularly bothersome, considering those people did not mean it in an offensive manner. The word had been so common in casual conversation that it had lost all its meaning, including to Malcolm. However, after a trip to Boston with his half-sister, Ella, where Malcolm spends more time with fellow black people as opposed to the white people he is accustomed to, he begins to feel uncomfortable with the way white people treat him. This scene takes place when Malcolm discusses his future with a teacher, from the teacher’s point of view. Malcolm describes the teacher as a kind man who meant well, but was simply too deep in the culture of casual racism. The majority of dialogue used here is taken directly from the book. (That includes the use of the n-word, that was not my writing.)

I sat down at my desk, leaning back in the chair for a bit with a sigh. When I came up, a mountain of homework assignments stood before me. The grades had been getting better, and so had the students. Especially Malcolm, he was ever so hardworking. Near top of his class. He kept juggling the spot with a couple other students. It’s really a shame, he could’ve been so much more had he been luckier.

Speak of the Devil I suppose, Malcolm came walking in with his head hung low. The boy had seemed a bit down lately, and I couldn’t possibly see what happened. He was doing just as well as usual in school, and if anything, I’d expected his mood to get even better. I motioned for him to sit in the chair in front of my desk. He obliged and slouched lazily. He had been acting like this for a while, ever since he got back from that Boston trip.

“Malcolm, what’s the matter with you? Sit properly.” He corrected his posture in the slightest degree possible. His eyes were glued to his lap. The boy’s mood wasn’t any good for him, and he needed to set himself straight if to get himself anywhere in life. “Malcom, you ought to be thinking about a career. Have you been giving it thought?” With the way this boy worked his fingers to the bone, I was sure he could do anything he wanted. Well, for the most part, anyway. He met my eyes for the first time and spoke softly.

“Well, yes, sir, I’ve been thinking I’d like to be a lawyer.” Oh God, this is just what I had feared. If only I had known my concerns were justified and not just present on some whim. Maybe I could have prepared sooner. Damn the boy, why did his ambition have to be so grand? I leaned back again with a heavier sigh.

“Malcolm, one of the life’s first needs is for us to realistic. Don’t misunderstand me, now. We all here like you, you know that. But you’ve got to be realistic about being a n*****. A lawyer – that’s no realistic goal for a n*****. You need to think about something you can be. You’re good with your hands – making things. Everybody admires your carpentry shop work. Why don’t you plan on carpentry? People like you as a person – you’d get all kinds of work.” I almost felt bad, Malcolm had seemed so determined for this lawyer business, but it just wasn’t meant for people like him. I figured he could still earn a respectable job as a black man, but those opportunities were limited, realistically.

Malcolm begrudgingly raised himself from the chair and sulked out of the room after an indistinguishable mutter. The boy had been so miserable, and I was hit with a twinge of sadness as I realized I had dashed the boys dreams to pieces. Better by me then than someone else later, I suppose. I was sure he’d amount to something eventually, however. If only I had known.

Analysis: The indifference of the teacher here, as well as his casual doubt of Malcolm and his use of the n-word, shows the disconnection between Malcolm and the largely white community he grew up in. The white people around Malcolm hardly viewed him as a person, and as a result, he began to feel uncomfortable and even angry. This leads to his move to Boston with Ella, which causes him to integrate into black culture. Inevitably, this integration, as well as his newfound hatred for casual racism, lead to his crucial role in the civil rights movement.