One of my favorite things about this text was how Malcolm got motivated to read. He was in jail for seven years, and during that time, looked for things to do. Teaching himself the ability to read is very admirable. He spent day after day copying down words in the dictionary, trying to become more articulate. This text was kind of amazing to me. I love how as the essay progresses, the reader can feel his level of determination rising with each new word he learned. He was so motivated and committed to his work.
This essay relates to “How I learned to Program Computers” in many ways. Like Feross, Malcolm didn’t give up. He spent all his time either copying from a dictionary, or reading books into all hours of the night. Malcolm showed true commitment in his task, and was rewarded with results.
Gaining this ability was life changing for Malcolm. Becoming well-read and articulate enabled him to teach others about Elijah Muhammad. If he had not learned how to read and write, he could have ended up back on the streets after his jail sentence or in jail for more time. I believe that is we all put as much commitment and effort into our work as he did, there isn’t anything we couldn’t accomplish.
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