A mind is a masterpiece where a lot of ideas are flowing like a crowded traffic on a street. Some of us might have the ambition to put that idea into a scripture that will live long. But the question is, do we know how to address clearly our ideas in a way most people can understand? Maybe our idea might be a mind blowing masterpiece which might touch millions of lives. Here I will be analyzing the two pieces of writing. The first one is entitled “Homemade Education” written by the most famous, prominent and controversial civil right activist Malcom x (1925-1965).
He stated all his personal experience of beginning & growth process of his writing and reading skills with their positive attribute in his life. The second of piece called “Girl Rising “, an Academy Award-nominated movie directed by Richard E. Robbins released on 2013, tell the journeys of nine girls around the globe to witness the strength of the human spirit and the power of education to change the world. From this two selected stories, I will be addressing my own very personal experience in contrast, in which I believe most of you might find it interesting.
Malcom x was narrating his experience for all his readers to have an idea of each step he has gone through to develop his habit of writing and reading. He wrote it in a form of autobiography in a way of sharing his experience. Even he mentioned that his audience might be as “many who today hear me somewhere in person or on television, or those who read something I’ve said, will think I went to school far beyond eighth grade. ” on book of articulation “homemade education” Malcom x page 503.
In this part he indicated his preparation of work is all for the public to read. For the rest, he was narrating the patience, dedication of time, the tactics he has used and the change he has seen in himself for going through that sounds more like as if he is speaking to all readers to feel what he was going through. This lesson learned for us to decide the purpose and the message we would like to convey before we start writing, it can be a research paper, applying for a job, or a certain essay.
We all have an ambition to let the reader know our way of perception for the sake of maybe entertainment or probably convincing them to do something or know something about us. Malcom x way of presenting his purpose is quite fascinating. He wrote it in a way that any reader at any background can understand. All the details of his first beginning of learning words from a dictionary, how he wholly dedicated himself to study what he found every day from scratch, the books & tactics he used to reach his level of progression, how his situation or the fact he was in prison affected him.
He finally put how his habit of reading brought him to his interest and all his methods of writing. When I observe the purpose of his writing seems that he wants to address to us that a good writing comes through dedication of our time and energy with our patience, even going against the odds might be needed. He said “I have often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me. I know right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life. As I see it today, the ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive.
I wasn’t certainly seeking any degree; the way a college confers a status symbol upon its students. My homemade education gave me, every additional book that I read, a little bit more sensitivity to the deafness, dumbness and blinds that was afflicting the black race in America. ” by Malcom X on book of articulation ‘Homemade Education’ page 511. It was more of educational to others to follow his footsteps from the vibe of his writing since he mentioned that his homemade education is the source and development his unique personal life experience.
Despite his circumstances, this man was thriving hard to become a well-spoken literate who finally become a voice for millions. His background made no contribution for destination, only his hard work and inspiration got him to the person whom he wants to become. Comparing his extreme experience with mine, coming from a place where being well spoken in the language of English is quite a big challenging made me feel as I was locked out from the inspiring reality. During my time in high school, I was desperate and eager to learn how to read and write an English.
Since English is my second language, it was a tough journey for me to learn the simplest words and put them together into a sensible form. I used to read harry potter, Sidney Sheldon and other fictions just to improve my English language. our country school system is more interested for us to know the basics grammar rather than go further beyond. So I was left to unravel the journey of knowing the structures or vocabularies on my own because someday I wished to speak and write like those good writers out there. Still I have a lot to learn and discover the secret of writing.
I hope I can do well in expressing my ideas with the right word so I can share my ideas and thoughts of hope just like Malcom x did. In the movie ‘Girl rising’, the girls display unbelievable bravery in the face of overwhelming odds. The obstacles for these girls are numerous. Early marriage, cultural paradigms, poor facilities, geographic isolation are the obstacles for their educational and personal growth. Lots of them flow directly from being poor; which means not only they cannot afford school, but also they need to work to support their families.
This revolutionary film that follows the life stories of nine girls from the developing world, who struggle every day for freedom, education and a voice in their home countries of Cambodia, Haiti, Nepal, Ethiopia, India, Peru, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. To me the common thread for the girls in the film, was that they each believed (against all evidence) that they deserved more. They just had a deep sense of their own power and potential. For many of the girls, they often found an expression of their hope and will in some kind of art — poetry, dance, art, song.
The truth conveyed in the film was as much about the spirit of these girls as it is about their circumstances. Also these girls are fundamentally voiceless. They often lack the confidence or the vocabulary. So the writers are the bridge. A way of helping to give the girls a voice. Girl Rising is not just a film, but a growing movement to empower and give voice to the girls. I believe the documentary makers were the advocates who crossed the line to make a difference out there. Comparing it with my personal experience I have witnessed that many girls are facing the similar challenge particularly in the rural areas in my country Ethiopia.
I envy their audacity to pertain the culture and the view of the society to attend the school and peruse knowledge. The documentary is narrated in the form of autobiography of each girls’ own experience. From Malcom x writing his introduction was cited in the first two paragraphs about his beginning to the journey of what he calls “homemade education”. “Many who today ear me somewhere is a person, or on television, or those who read something I’ve said, will think I went to school far beyond the eighth grade. ” Book of articulation written by Malcom x “Homeland Education” page 503.
This introduction for me as a reader reflected in my mind that there is more he has to say about his final success of his writing until he was mentioning his very first glimpse of the experience. In conclusion, from Malcom x writing of the “homemade education” Malcom was generalizing his tenacity for reaching to his present destination and no matter how his situation was agitating. He was a black man in prison, it was like going against the flow to fit into a civilized society of his time until he was part of the minority group of society.
He said “my alma mater was books, a good library” for an Englishman. In which he concluded that a human mind can have a great thing to do take out the picture of race or color out of the picture. On the other hand, from the documentary ‘Girl Rises’ give the viewers to have the idea of what’s going on out there. The challenge that each girl is facing every day to get the simple basic education that another person is begging for to get. The common trait that these two stories share that these people are desperately seeking for knowledge to make a difference.
In ‘Malcom X’ writing more goes detail of his writing experience and the documentary ‘Girl rising’ highlight the challenge that the girls have to pass to peruse knowledge. I am quite moved with both stories with how they addressed their ideas of the hard challenge into more tormenting form and reveal the human potential. Last but not least I admired how either Malcom x listed out his ways of writing and perception without being dogmatic. Also the documentary ‘Girl rising’ was an uplifting documentary which made me think as a woman to face all the opposition or confrontation ahead of me.
