Dehmand 1

Kiana Dehmand
Jamison
9th Honors Lit
9/7/15

Original Piece
Learning to Read and Rescuing Malcolm X from his Calculated Myths

Learning to Read and Rescuing Malcolm X from his Calculated Myths are two very
different articles. While one is an autobiography, the other is a biography that doesnt go deep
into the meanings Malcolm X was trying to express. Learning to Read was a very interesting
piece of writing that makes the reader want to continue reading. Everything that Malcolm X
knew was due entirely to my (his) prison studies from learning how to read and write to world
history. The article Peniel writes, barely touches this important part in Malcolm Xs life and
proceeds to say that Malcolm X is also alongside global icons like MLK and Mahatma Gandhi.
Joseph E. Peniels writing also has a bitter tone to it at times, for example describing Malcolm X
as Kings angry but eloquent counterpart. While in Learning to Read, Malcolm X seems
wise, intelligent, and powerful, stating good points like, A skin game is being played. He also
states something Mr. Muhammad said of how history had been whitened. Malcolm X is
simply expressing his powerful opinions, he is not expressing them in an angry way. Both
articles include the phrase white devils. Malcolm X goes into brief detail throwing in Chinese
history when they cried Kill the foreign white devils! Yet Peniel questions the phase, stating in
his writing, and identified whites as devils. Peniel doesnt go in dept. Why does Malcolm X

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think this way about this phrase? Peniel also states how Malcolm X exaggerated his criminal
exploits yet in Learning to Read not much about criminal exploits are made, instead it is a
piece of writing of Malcolm X and his way of learning. In Peniels writing, although most of it
sounds either neutral or negative towards Malcolm X, he closes off saying, We now have a
historical portrait of Malcolm X that goes beyond literary clichs sounding positive to him.
Malcolm X closes his writing by mentioning another wise point, Where else but in a prison
could I have attached my ignorance by being able to study intensely sometimes as much as
fifteen hours a day.