The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The information here will help you write an excellent research paper on The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The writers at Paper Masters understand what this Civil Rights leader meant to the course of American History. They can help you understand the autobiography and what Malcolm X was trying to say.

When interacting with the beliefs of Malcolm X, it is important to understand, as he clearly outlines in his Autobiography, that his methodology is informed by his experiences as a street hustler in Harlem. The rules of the street, like trusting no one, projecting an image, and understanding whom the enemy is are all integral ideas to his methodology. This informs the way in which Malcolm drives the growth of the Nation of Islam. Because of his distrust, he does not cede control of the individual mosques locally, and he creates a newspaper for the Nation of Islam to spread its message independent of other agencies, which presents the message in the best possible light.

First and foremost, remember that it is a good idea to use citations from the following book: The Autobiography of Malcolm X As Told By Alex Haley. Some things to remember when formulating your thesis on the meaning of the book are as follows:

1. Your title should be a statement of your interpretive question. An example follows. Interpretative Question: What is the meaning of protest by Malcolm X?
2. Incorporate your question into the paragraph - it should flow naturally from your opening sentences.
3. Your introductory paragraph should include your thesis statement, your stand on the question you pose. The statement should state explicitly, "I believe, I assert" or should clearly impart to the reader that this is the stand you will take.

Suggestions for the Body of
The Autobiography of Malcolm X Research Paper

Please remember the three tenets of body paragraphs:

1. Unity - Unity can be achieved by including a very specific The Autobiography of Malcolm X sentence and by making sure that everything in the paragraph belongs with that The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
2. Coherence - Coherence means that it all hangs together. This is achieved by using transitions and by organizing the ideas in a paragraph in a logical manner, so that each idea follows from the last.
3. Development - Development is the product of using sufficient examples (especially evidence from the text), analysis and explanation.

The body of the paper should inform on Malcolm's message of protest. Particularly after his visit to Mecca, Malcolm begins to see the struggle of African-Americans as the struggle of all oppressed ethnicities and people. Gandhi, as he is introduced through Fischer, sees the world similarly. This passage from Chapter 19 shows how Malcolm has come to understand this after his visit to Mecca and more interaction with the rest of the global community: "I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole." This notion is akin to Gandhi's views and his actual sphere of influence. Gandhi, while most concerned with the Indian people, sees the struggle against oppression as a global one, which he acts on in other places like South Africa. King, likewise, writes, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." The interrelatedness of all struggles for freedom is shown to be the same through the tenets of these three men.

Malcolm, although he moved toward a more tolerant stance that eventually became inclusive of other religions and forms of protest, seems to have ideological similarities with the other two, although his is a more radicalized strain. While Malcolm becomes more inclusive after leaving Elijah Mohammed, he nonetheless seems to suggest that the struggle of African-Americans must be spearheaded by an African-American contingent, something echoed in King's letter when he speaks of needing to mobilize the Black community, proclaiming that he has come to view the "Negro's greatest stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than justice." This shows that both men felt that justice for their race would be in the hands of the oppressed.

Tips for the Conclusion for The Autobiography of Malcolm X Research Paper

1. The conclusion is the place to tie together the threads of the argument and usually involves some rephrasing of the thesis and summing up the points made.
2. It is important not to introduce new ideas here which will need development.
3. Do not make qualitative statements that will diminish your authority.

Points to keep in mind:

1. Remember, you have only a few words to present your point of view when you are doing a book review. Make sure that evaluation does not impede the completion of interpretation. Get quickly to your own points.
2. Your essay should be based on one interpretative question.
3. Your response to that question needs to be based on the text. To do this, you will need textual references to prove your point. Do not, however, use quotations of more than three lines at any given point in the essay. Also document your textual references, both direct and indirect, with page numbers so that I can clearly follow your point of view

Interpretative Emphasis:

1. Maintain the interpretative mode.
2. Be sure to use the text to support what you have to say, but no more than 10% of the text should be taken up by quotations - so paraphrase, and use only the important part of the quote.
3. Be sure you are discussing the same kind of theme/thing in each text.
4. Let "unity, coherence and development" be your guidelines!