CSE120 READING THE BIOGRAPHY SHOHANA SHARMIN
MS. WOODIWISS DATE: 4/6/2018
Midterm
Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X Comparison And Contrast
The law of religion, politics, and education nothing can stop a person from their success in life. If people wants to change their life and wants to makes it better, it is always feasible. Like Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X both were african american and very important to Americans for their movement, both had to struggled a lot beginning of their life because of their skin color but end of the time they were succeeded in life. Frederick Douglass was born as a slave in 1817 and after hundred years later Malcolm X born in 1925 and had to face racism. Both of their life there is lots of things for comparison of similarities.
Frederick Douglass who was born as a slave didn’t go to school but always wanted to gain knowledge, he always wanted to learn read and write for his own pleasure. As a slave to learn read and write was a huge crime. So, for education he had to face lots of obstacles, but he doesn’t give up. Frederick Douglass self education start with the help one of his slave master then he learn from the poor white kid . Frederick Douglass educate himself exercising diverse statistics. When he was sent to errands, after finish work he makes friend with little poor white kid and earn knowledge instead of bread . According to Frederick Douglass biography ” I was much better off in this regard than many of the poor white children in our neighborhood. This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge .” It was like today private colleges, instead of lots of money they will give you education. By exercising different policies, he was succeeded to teach himself and after that this knowledge changed his life and makes it better and give him renown.
Malcolm X who was sent to prison for ten years for burglary early in his life and this punishment changed his life for forever. In the little age he had to going through lots of things and bad situation. Like Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X also self-educated. When Malcolm X was in jail he wanted to learn read and write. Then he notice he has very low vocabulary knowledge. Then, gaining vocabulary knowledge he started with copying dictionary page by page and memorising them in order. According to the Malcolm X biography, ” in my slow, painstaking, ragged handwriting, I copied into my tablet everything printed on that first page, down to the punctuation marks. I believe it took me a day. Then, aloud, I read back, to myself, everything I’d written on the tablet . over and over, aloud, to myself, I read my own handwriting.” Through trying this strategic Malcolm X learn read and write and began reading books about history, philosophy, religion. Malcolm X strategy for increasing vocabulary knowledge is somehow connect with one of my history of learning English. I had to suffer a lot when I first came to the United States because I had to struggle with understand the english. My first language is bengali, so I had less knowledge about english words. Even I always hesitate to talk with foreign people. Then I decide to increase my knowledge of words through the help of dictionary. Then, every day I start to memorise ten words from dictionary. It helps me a lot to increase my vocabulary and learning english well. Education is the most powerful weapon which can change any one life, character easily. Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass both were self-educated and both of their character and life was changed after they gaining knowledge.
Malcolm X was against racism while Frederick Douglass was against slavery.
