The essay is an account of Malcolm X and Frederick Douglas
The essay is an account of Malcolm X and Frederick Douglas who narrate different real-life happenings of their journeys towards learning how to read and write. Malcolm X learned how to read while in prison while Douglas learned as a black slave working under a harsh mistress. The paper will also discuss the approaches used by Sherman Alexie in understanding the concepts of reading and writing.
1. Content
a) Douglas learned how to read and write through curiosity and interest since he wanted to gain information about the foundation of African-American slavery. As a slave, Douglas was prohibited by his master against reading books, newspapers and other forms of writings. Douglas became more inquisitive and read informative materials behind his masters` back. He learned how to write by copying letters from copy-books and spelling books. Malcolm learned how to read by utilizing the dictionary which provided extensive knowledge about the meaning of words. He could read books while referring to the dictionary. He polished his skills by reading numerous books from the prison library. He also had a specific interest in Mr Muhammad`s books which addressed the civilization of black people and antislavery. The difference between Malcolm and Douglas` way of reading is in the use of a dictionary for Malcolm. In addition to that, Douglas learned to read in and write in an era where slaves were prohibited from gaining such knowledge. During Malcolm's era, it was a free world where people were encouraged to gain literacy.
b) There are significant similarities between Malcolm, Douglas and Alexie`s meaning of reading and writing. They believed that persistence and extensive reading would provide them with a lot of useful knowledge that would benefit them in their learning process. When reading their stories, it can be observed that the three authors read numerous books of interest and learned the flow of words, paragraphs, essays and papers. Additionally, the three authors had specific motives and intentions which drove them towards gaining attention in reading and writing. For example, Douglas wanted to obtain information about the mistreatment and origin of slavery in the US, through content from books and other written resources. Malcolm wanted to be eloquent, to be a good leader and to gain employment through education. Alexie gained literacy to surpass the prevailing norm that Indians were supposed to be ignorant and uneducated in the American society.
2. Reading like a writer
a) Each of the three writers opens his essay in a unique style. Malcolm and Douglas utilize a narrative style to introduce their writings. They provide a brief life history about the events that led to their current statuses. Alexie opens his piece with a description style, which directly states that he learned to read from a Superman comic book. Alexie`s opening draws me more since it clearly states the intention of his composition and provides curiosity about the content in Superman comic book. Malcolm and Douglas` essays have a better appeal compared to Alexie`s writing since the writers give an extensive life history of the events that happened throughout their learning process. The reader gains a lot of familiarization with the authors when they provide detailed information about their lives. For example, Malcolm X outlines all the books he read when in prison. The summary provides a better understanding of his concerns about the civil rights movement.
b) The three essays follow certain organizations which deliver the writing themes in different styles. Alexie and Douglas followed a chronological organization which presents a progression of time from the period of illiteracy until full knowledge in reading and writing. Malcolm used the combination of a topical and chronological organization where the writer outlines his historical events before and after learning how to read and write. Douglas describes each stage of his life while explaining the level of his knowledge at each point in time. Alexie briefs the reader about his oppression as an Indian and describes how he learned to read and write throughout his life, in an effort to gain recognition in society.
