Malcolm X
The Autobiography of Malcolm X, as told by Alex Haley, gives detailed insight into the life of the renowned human rights activist, Malcolm X. Alex Haley acts as a co-author in this autobiography from the interviews he had with Malcolm when he was still alive. The autobiography is classified as a ‘spiritual conversion narrative.’ It narrates Malcolm’s experiences, thoughts, and opinions on matters of black excellence and pan Africanism. It gives the audience a picture of Malcolm’s inner thoughts and the logic that surrounds his decisions during the troubled period of black nationalism. He follows Malcolm from a young age when he lived with his family in Omaha, Nebraska, to his untimely demise. This autobiography sheds a lot of light on issues surrounding Malcolm’s life since, unlike other well-known names such as Martin Luther King Jr., many people have scanty knowledge of Malcolm. He attempts to dissect Malcolm’s life in a way the public has never seen before. For instance, he writes of the different personalities of Malcolm for the public and for private life. In another instance, he describes Malcolm’s background, his educated mother and uneducated father, and the various contexts that shaped who Malcolm would eventually turn out to be. It is important to note how Malcolm’s faith in Islam is portrayed in Malcolm’s eyes.
This essay aims to discuss the life of Malcolm X with reference to Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. This theory shows attempts to resolve different conflicts in a person’s life to reconcile and result in a completely developed human. It borrows a number of concepts from Freud’s psychosexual theories (Cherry,2018). The psychological attributes of the adult are derived from physical and mental development that can be traced from birth. The main stages of development are infancy, toddler, adolescent, and adulthood that influence milestones, such as school, marriage, and parenthood. Malcolm’s life was surrounded by conflicts and challenges that can apply to Erikson stages of psychosocial development. Malcolm was a well-adjusted adult. He underwent all the stages successfully and mastered behaviors and attitudes that helped him relate well with other people. His childhood is particularly congested with challenges that will form the bulk of the essay. He turned out to be a revered personality with a positive contribution to society.
To begin with, the stage of trust versus mistrust is passed through from birth to twelve months of age. Resolving of this stage leads to the development of the value of hope in infants. The baby needs to learn to trust caregivers. Undue actions might lead to feelings of anxiety and mistrust that may persist into adult life. Since babies are unable to accomplish tasks on their own, they have to trust their caregivers to complete them on their behalf. They have to be dependent on them and trust that every action is beneficial to them. Although Malcolm’s infancy is not described in the autobiography, certain actions he undertook can shed some light. Despite the challenges that surrounded their home, Malcolm learned to trust his parents all through. Although their family is exposed to torture and trauma, he displays confidence in his mother and father. For instance, their house in Lansing, Michigan, is burned down by the white supremacist group, The Black Legion. Luckily, everyone escapes unharmed. He accompanies his father to the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) meetings. These meetings were considered radical during that period (Little, 1999).
During adolescence, that is between twelve and eighteen years of age; children have to resolve the conflict between identity and role confusion. This determines the development of a sense of self. In this stage, adolescents explore their various selves to determine whether they fit best. They attempt to answer the question, ‘Who am I?’ Thus, success during this stage gives a strong sense of identity and a strong foundation of principles and beliefs that are applied in the face of challenges. They are able to remain faithful to their identity and beliefs. The person is able to apply this when interacting with society and in problem-solving. Inferiority can pursue an individual altering perception of their identity. Malcolm experienced a number of challenges during this period in his life that led to his identity crisis. Malcolm had an incident with his English teacher, Mr. Ostrowski, when he was thirteen years of age. Malcolm was asked about what he wanted to be when he grew up. He firmly replied that he wanted to be a lawyer. This shows the identity he had decided and the role he wanted to play in the world on growing up. However, the teacher ridiculed him and told him that he should be more realistic. However, he says, “My English teacher, I recall a Mr. Ostrowski was always giving advice about how to become something in life” (Little, 1999). This incident shaped Malcolm’s view of the future. He later changed and became the opposite of what he wanted to become. He was deeply involved in criminal enterprises. He was drawn to Shorty, a first-year high school drop-out from Lansing. Shorty quickly became his mentor, training him on the criminal underworld. Malcolm developed more and more scamming skills. At first, he was ashamed of his inexperience, but Shorty backed him up, ensnaring him deeper and deeper into the dangerous lifestyle. He says, “My embarrassment at my inexperience showed. ‘Hellman,’ he (Shorty) said, ‘don’t be ashamed’” (Little, 1999).
Shorty quickly introduced Malcolm to people in their line of business, such as players and loungers, and would refer to him as ‘my homeboy.’ Eventually, Malcolm’s negative identity lands him in prison, where he develops a new, positive identity. The negative identity he developed at first is the exact opposite of the person he wanted to be. Perhaps had his English teacher encouraged him to pursue his dream, then he would have had a positive identity. Since Malcolm has not gained mastery of any profession and is at the stage of wanting to become someone, positive identity affirmation could help in designing the roles he would have played thereafter. Malcolm’s case is typical of the many oppressed black children attempting to become better members of society. The consequences of the limited opportunities to advance to positive personalities made many members of the black community resort to a life of crime. Malcolm’s criminal activities were probably as a result of the same.
Fortunately, Malcolm managed to resolve this conflict and develop a whole new identity that would command respect not only among the black community but also around the whole world. Although his identity development took a long time, he was satisfied with the role he played in his community and the whole world. He embraced his ministerial position with roles in the Nation of Islam. His prison sentenced shaped this character through reading and praying, enabling him to realize himself. His positive identity was contributed to by the Black Muslim ideology that was independent of influence from the white majority.
In conclusion, Malcolm’s life story is a good example of how Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development can be applied. In some instances, the stages have been successfully resolved, such as the first stage. However, in some stages, such as the fifth stage of development, there have been unresolved issues that persist in adulthood. Luckily for this subject, he manages to steer his life in a positive direction. The identity crisis he is associated with during his teenage years resolves gradually from the insights into the sense of self he receives from books in prison (Hill, 2019). He is guided by principles and positive attitudes, as well as a strong foundation in the Nation of Islam. He closely follows the teachings of his new mentor Elijah Muhammad. His sense of self enables him to disassociate from Elijah when he discovers the ills associated with him. He then plays a crucial role in the black movement. He empowers his people with knowledge and encourages them to pursue black supremacy. He advocates for black pride and dignity that provides the black man with a sense of self. This is attributed to the fact that during his teenage years, his identity was ‘stolen’ from him by his white English teacher. He managed to create a lasting impression on the world as a staunch human rights activist. “I, for one, believe that if you give people a thorough understanding of what confronts them and the basic causes that produce it, they’ll create their own program, and when the people create a program, you get action,” Malcolm X.
References
Cherry, K. (2018). Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
Hill, T. D. (2019). Race, Identity, and the Narrative of Self in the Autobiographies of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, and Malcolm X.
Little, M. (1999). The autobiography of Malcolm X as said to Alex Haley. Ballantine Books.