Education in the broad sense refers to the process though which people acquire necessary skills to survive in life. For most people, education occurs through experiences that have affirmative effects on how individuals think, feel and act. This essay discuses how education process influenced the thinking of Malcolm X as documented in the excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X in an essay titled “Learning to Read” and life Mike Rose in the narrative “I Just Want to Be Average”.
In the narrative “I just want to be Average “, Rose examines his past schooling experience and how his school experience at Our Lord of Mercy impacted his life. According to rose, the school program that he attended was mentally restrictive. He says that the Catholic school that he attended emphasized memorizing things in order to pass exams. This system of education did not create a chance for students to analyze information and evaluate the results of the information provided to them. In paragraph two, Rose writes that “Mercy relied on series of tests for placement” (paragraph 2). The emphasis on tests meant that students learning ability were confined to their performance on the tests. Moreover, the mental limitation is further evidenced by the case of Mr. Mitropetros who was Rose’s sophomore English teacher but had limited knowledge of English so he had the kid repeat the book Julius Caesar (Rose, paragraph, 4).
Another way that school influenced Rose’s life was through the inspiration from the men at Voc. Ed. Rose writes fondly of people like Dave Snyder, the sprinter and half back, Ted Richard the pitcher, and Ken Harvey the disillusioned scholar. These men would become Rose’s role model in life and the guys that bestowed onto him the life a man. In these words, “no matter how bad the school, you’re going to encounter notions that don’t fit with the assumptions and beliefs that you grew up with” (Rose, paragraph, 12). School became the place that Rose begun question influences in life like the role of religion, existence of God and minority rights.
Despite the bad things that happened at school, the teachers lack of initiative, the students total disregard for school work and lack of motivation, Rose admits that his school experience was on that was influential in his life. It is through school that “it enabled (him) to do things in life” (Rose, Last paragraph). Although the school experience was horrible, it bestowed him a master of grammar, knowledge of philosophy and a sense of direction in life.
Like Rose, Malcolm X was greatly influenced with education. In the excerpt “Learning to Read” Malcolm X documents how education changed his life, his identity and his place in the world. Still, education is not the only thing that brings Rose and X together. Both Malcolm X and Mike Rose were minorities, grew up in working class families, and figured out their problems through personal initiatives.
While Rose’s breakthrough in education happened after leaving school, Malcolm X’s love for education happened while he was incarcerated. It is at Norfolk Prison Colony that Malcolm X self educated himself. After meeting Bimbi who had enlightened Malcolm X about the beauty of reading, Malcolm X decided to bury himself into the books by reading dictionaries, bible, Quran and all the literature that he could lay his hands on. Malcolm X also taught himself the art of writing since had to communicate to the founder of Nation of Islam Elijah Mohamed.
Just like Rose who was inspired by the men at Voc. Ed at Mercy, Malcolm X was also influenced by the men in his life at prison. First, Malcolm X first inspiration was Bimbi Malcolm X envied because of his “stock of knowledge” (Malcolm X, paragraph 3). Later on Bimbi introduced Malcom X to Elijah Mohamed who became his biggest influence in life. Elijah Mohamed not only raised Malcom X to the status of civil rights leader through the Nation of Islam but also educated Malcom X on the ways to go about life. Malcolm X’s self education was thus a function of personal traits and the influence of the men in his life.
Perhaps the common factor in the lives of Rose and Malcolm X in terms of education is that both of them were restricted in some ways. While X was imprisoned and thus physically restricted, Rose was mentally restricted in a Catholic institution. Still, the mental and physical restriction did not inhibit the two from using education find their own freedom. In conclusion, Malcolm X and Mike Rose educational history explains how despite the varying circumstances; their educational experience influenced their lives in a bigger way that meets the eye.
Works Cited
Rose, Mike. “I Just Wanna Be Average.” I Just Wanna Be Average. N.p., 28 June 2012. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.
X, Malcom. ““Learning to Read” excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” Reading Selection. Malcom X, 17 June 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2010.
