In today's society people are motivated to become educated for different reasons. Malcolm X in "Homemade Education" was a smart street hustler. However, he could not express, or communicate effectively. Malcolm X was motivated when he met a fellow inmate named Bimbi where he then took control of his inability to read and write by putting his time in prison to good use. This motivation shows that you can get anywhere in life with determination as your watchword.
Bimbi was the type of person that Malcolm X admired; he was well spoken and could take control of any conversation. Malcolm wanted to have this kind of knowledge, he took on the long hard road of learning to read and write. Malcolm started with the task of learning the dictionary from A-Z; he stated "He never knew that so many words existed “.
The will to learn and to start reading and writing is perhaps the most significant part of the essay and is the part which impresses one the most. Malcolm X is definitely a determined and very hard headed person and his fascination with what he was discovering plays a very important part in the proceedings of the reading. We are almost comically enthused by the manner in which Malcolm observes the way words describe objects and suchlike as they move forward in his imagination. The essay is a surprising reaffirmation of the importance of education and the ability to make this a part of life. That Malcolm X eventually succeeded is down to his sheer grit and steely determination.
Works Cited:
Clarke, John Henrik, ed. (1990) [1969]. Malcolm X: The Man and His Times. Trenton, N.J.: Africa World Press. ISBN 978-0-86543-201-7.
