My Favorite

Of the three narrative’s that we have read so far, Malcolm X, Rose, and Franklin , I would have to say that the one I liked best was probably Malcolm X’s. I really enjoyed the flow of the paper, it seemed very seamless to me. And I really enjoyed how descriptive it was, it was easy to imagine what was happening based off of his description experiences and events. For example, “At one hour intervals the night guards paced past every room. Each time I heard the approaching footsteps, I jumped into bed and feigned sleep. And as soon as the guard passed, I got back out of bed onto the floor area of that light-glow, where I would read for another fifty-eight minutes until the guard approached again.” (Learning to Read pg. 2) Being so detailed as to note exactly how many minutes he sat on the floor reading in the glow of the light not only adds to his experience but states it  in a way that any reader would be able to understand and maybe even relate too.

 I also really appreciated how much responsibility he took for his education, how much motivation, and pride he had of educating himself for no other reason than wanting to learn and teach others. It was not for a degree, to please anyone else, or to acquire a different social status.  It was for himself.  “Not long ago, an English writer telephoned me from London, asking questions. One was, “What’s your alma mater?” I told him, “Books.” You will never catch me with a free fifteen minutes in which I am not studying something I feel might be able to help the black man. “(Learning to Read pg. 3) I feel like today so much of what we choose to do with our lives is just a mirror of what others’ want to see us do and accomplish. It takes a really strong person to be able to walk away from the expectation of others and say, what I am going to do from now on will only be for myself.