Racism

Through Malcolm's experiences, the author demonstrates the racist attitudes and laws encoded into the fabric of American society in the 1930s and 40s, which the real Malcolm X fought nobly against during the Civil Rights movement. These racist attitudes are evident in small moments in the book, like when Malcolm is told to sit in the back of the bus, or he is treated like a mascot by his fellow students in high school, and in grander events, like Malcolm's father's death, and the incident on the pier in Boston when he is almost attacked by passersby for walking with Sophia. The trajectory of Malcolm's entire life is defined by society's racism.

Both of Malcolm's parents attempted to instill in him the belief that the color of his skin was something to celebrate, but reality quickly disabused Malcolm of that notion. He knows his father was...