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Essay / Analysis of the links between “Growing Up in Poverty and Violence: The Story of a North Lawndale Teenager” by Daleen Glanten and “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Alex Haley
In the article “ Growing Up in Poverty and Violence: A Story of the North Lawndale Teenager by Daleen Glanten, an unnamed teenager finds himself in situations similar to Malcolm's throughout his life , as Alex Haley explains in The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The teenager lives in North Lawndale, Chicago with his great-aunt. Barbara. He lives in a region hit by poverty and violence, where his life is in daily danger. In one case, he was shot on his way to school. He said, “Auntie, someone is shooting me. The distressed teen also adds, "All the time I was thinking, 'I want to go home.' Then I checked my body to see if I was wet (with blood) anywhere. When Malcolm was only six years old, his father was murdered by a group of men against his teachings, "negroes in Lansing...a streetcar to run him over." The next connection I made between these two incidents is that the violence in these boys' lives cannot be controlled. For example, the teenager was unable to solve the problems associated with gang violence in his city, Glanten adds: “The young man did not create the violent culture in which he lives. He was born into this culture. » The teenager was born when his mother was just 14 years old and he never met his father. He was raised by his great-grandmother and great-aunt. Malcolm, similarly, was born into cruelty. When his mother was pregnant with him, their family was terrorized by members of the KKK who opposed the teachings of Malcolm's father Earl. At one point, the KKK asked the family to leave town "surrounding the house, brandishing their shotguns...Marcus Garvey." Malcolm couldn't change the minds of the men who attacked his father, it was something that was completely out of control. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay When Malcolm grew up, he committed armed robberies and was arrested, although the biggest problem was his involvement with white women “How, where, when had I met them? the wives of white men.” The teen also had his share of prison time in 2015. "That year, he stole a car - twice, according to court records... during his candy sales, he said ." Not living in a stable household could be the cause of the emergence of negative behavior in these young men. The teenager did not live with his mother or father and had to live with other family members. Similarly, Malcolm lost his father at a young age and was separated from his mother who was sent to a mental institution. with a foster family and with his half-sister Ella, and was surrounded by drugs, alcohol and prostitutes from a young age. A final connection I made between the two pieces of text is that Malcolm and the teenager both aspired to create a better life. for themselves. Glanten explains the following: “She insists that education...not the life she envisions for him. » Although the 15-year-old hasn't yet completely decided what he wants to do with his life, he knows he wants a better life for himself and his future family. "Here I am." Malcolm also decided to change his life once in prison and become more educated. "I saw that the best thing I could do was to get a dictionary - to study, to learn a few words." Keep in mind: this is just one.”