Tuesday, June 25, 2013

What is the differences between the Malcolm X in the Autobiography and the Malcolm X Alex Haley describes in his Epilogue?

I think that one of the primary differences is one of
voice.  The Malcolm X that emerges in the Autobiography is told in his voice and through
his own experiences.  This is filtered through the lens of race, socio- political
theory, and background narrative.  One understands this because it is the nature of the
autobiography format.  Yet, the voice that emerges about Malcolm X from the Epilogue is
a bit different.  It shows how the human being was enduring the times of change that
both he initiated and were around him.  For example, the manner in which Haley describes
the last months of Malcolm's life allows the reader to fully peer into what it is like
to live in the brutal shadow of death.  The Epilogue also does a great job of describing
the funeral services for Malcolm X, Ossie Davis' hauntingly beautiful eulogy, as well as
the overall impact Malcolm X had on Haley, an individual who does not fit the profile of
one of Malcolm's followers.  In the Epilogue, I think that the reader gets a better and
more whole vision of Malcolm, one that is both inspired and separate from his own words
and voice.  It is this reason why I think the Epilogue is as valuable as the
autobiography itself.

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