me a hustler and soon began to live like an animal, living only to survive (163). As he became more involved with these people he lost all sense of values and morals. He eventually became a common street hustler, drug dealer, and burglar until he was finally caught and served seven years in jail.Malcolm X’s experience in jail “saved” him eventually and molded him into the great leader he is known for today. While in prison the first thing that made a “positive impression” on his life is a fellow inmate named “Bimbi.” (153). What impressed him the most about this man was the way he was able to “command total respect … with his words”(154). By trying to pursue a friendship with Bimbi, Malcolm X consequentially seeks an education. Through his readings and new found religion, the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X finds self-pride. He starts to become proud of who he is and where he came from. He realizes that before, all he was trying to do was act like someone he wasn’t and all it had gotten him was seven years in prison. The letters he got from Elijah Muhammad and his family encouraged all of this. He strives to admit his guilt, and “implore the forgiveness of God” (170). He would often “be startled to catch [himself] thinking in a remote way of [his] earlier self as another person” and marvel at how much he had changed (170). All the reading he did “awoke … some long dormant craving to be mentally alive” (179). His trip to prison opened up new doors for him because he gained knowledge that made him rethink his niche in life.After he left jail, Malcolm X believed that the black man was superior to the white man and the white man was simply the devil. He preached this to thousands of black people and converted them to the Nation of Islam through his moving speeches that stunned and captivated them. However, all of his belief...
