Malcom X and Alexie Response

Malcolm X and Alexie Response

Summary: In the article Learning to Read it talks about Malcolm X and it is mainly just a piece from his autobiography and he talks about how much prison had changed him. Malcolm was a troubled person and was blinded but saw the light thanks to Muhammad and his intense studying in prison. Malcolm talks about how he studied immensely every day and night and started with copying, reading and remembering the dictionary. After this he advanced to reading and through these readings and Muhammad’s teachings he became well aware of so much regarding the world and especially things regarding the white man. A lot of this piece talks about the issues of the white man and how he has done wrong to all other races or people of colored skin. Malcolm argues for how wrong this is and how it is missed up that blacks still have to fight and do so much more for even just the little things while fresh immigrants can come and take these things for granted like it is nothing.  Then in Sherman Alexie’s short article The Joy of Reading and Writing he talks about how he himself came about reading through his father. He argues that he started through the visuals given in a superman comic and worked up to literally everything with word and he read whenever he had the opportunity. Also Alexie talks about how he was different than the norm how Indians were supposed to be dumb and not know any of these things but he was the opposite he was smart, lucky and arrogant. Alexie argues that he did all this and devoted all this time to save his life.

Synthesis: Neither of these articles aren’t related to any of our past readings they are both their own pieces and have their own side or story to tell. These articles can relate to each other in the sense that they both describe different ways these authors discovered reading and why they found so much joy in it. These articles discuss how it came into their lives and why they made an attempt to keep it there and finally how through doing this learned and advanced in so many different areas. Also how they found joy in the process and what it meant to them at the time as well as now. Lastly there are in common in the sense that they were both underprivileged and segregated in a sense but took this as an opportunity. This opportunity allowed them to advance their skills beyond others and develop a keen understanding for reading and writing.

1.       Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

I think that Malcolm is intending to speak to underprivileged people especially those that are of colored skin. I think this is so because his whole article is a bias clearly towards whites with all due respect and he expresses nothing but bad qualities and past actions about them. However, most of his article is about why he learned to read and how it affected him and shaped him.

3.Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

Malcolm had many influences the list that comes to mind would be the teacher that told him he couldn’t be a lawyer, Muhammad, the prison, the library, the dictionary and the numerous books he had read throughout his life. I think that the most influential was Muhammad because if it wasn’t for him and his teachings Malcolm might not have ever started reading and writing. I think also that the books were a huge role in Malcolm’s life because they made him think and analyze and eventually changed him and molded him into a different person. This person was the new and much smarter and moving Malcolm. I think the motivation that came from these was the new ideas, concepts and just overall learning Malcolm got from turning to every new page because it gave him pride and a desire to want more or know more if you will.

6. Questions for Discussion and Journaling:

I think that if I wasn’t motivated to find myself and what I wanted to be through college I wouldn’t be here. Also there is the idea that in order to get a job or be successful you have to go to college or have a miracle story but I am motivated to read and learn more in order to further my understanding and knowledge. This is because through doing this I am able to get better and more intelligent which will lead to success in college and out of college which is what I am here for in the first place.

1.       Applying and Exploring:

I think that being literate is completely changing not just in the United States but all over the world. As the world progresses so does technology and the ability to read and understand these technologies in today’s world is extremely important. The use of books and dictionaries is becoming a thing of the past for that and so much more is available online but it is also almost a completely new language when it comes to understanding and using these new technologies such as the internet and skype and so forth.

2.       Applying and Exploring:

I think that the big literacy impact on me was my older sister. My sister is older than me and therefore always was a few steps ahead in every process in regards to learning and school and so forth. I think that this motivated me to do more and learn more because I wanted to not only be like her but be smarter and more literate. Through this motivation I would help her study and learn her vocab words and ask her for help on writing and reading as well as my mom in order to advance my skills. I found my sister always doing her homework on time and checking it as well as sometimes re-reading things that she didn’t understand I took all her little tricks and techniques and put them to use for myself I wanted to make sure I was prepared. I didn’t want to be just prepared though I wanted to be the best or the smartest of the bunch in class as well as at home and even though that never happened it drove me to work hard and never give up. I was always in a reading skills class because I struggled with reading and understanding and so forth partially due to my ADD but regardless if it wasn’t for my sister I might have given up and who knows where I would be today.

Meta Moment: I think that my teacher would say the most important part of this text is how Malcolm went about his studying and attempts to advance his skills. I think my teacher would talk about how he did certain things and used other sources and continually practiced. I think this isn’t the most important part to get from the article. I think the most important thing I will take from this is through hard work and percervierence you can accomplish great things no matter your situation or surroundings.

Opinion on Articles:

I am not sure why these are important for us to read regarding our class like the other article but I do see why they are important or very enlightening to read. These articles remind you to never take things for granted and to always try your best. Also that through learning to read and write you can get and discover so much more in life regarding understanding people, places, things and even yourself. I think that both of these articles were actually pretty interesting to read and kept me drawn in even though their wasn’t really any story or suspense. Overall I am glad I read these and I have now learned and taken away a few helpful concepts and ideas.

1.Appling and Exploring(Alexie):

I think that if you are determined a motivated to read and write and you stay this way no matter your situation you can accomplish this. This is within reason though as to some may grow up blind, deaf, mentally handicapped etc. but if you do not consider these extremes I think that you can accomplish these task through hard work and vigorous training. These articles are all about how reading and writing affected them in the sense that it projected them further in their studies as well as allowed them to find themselves. Also this helped them find where their interest and hobbies were and pretty much as to what they wanted to do in their life and how they wanted to make an impact. I look at my own history and think about how reading just simple quotes or poems have changed me completely and how I go about my life and trying to make a difference or standout and be my own person.