Malcolm X and Ellison

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses and compares "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" and Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man". Interracial sexual desire is depicted in both literary works. The paper explains how extreme social stratification and inequalities in social power play an important role in the depiction of interracial sexual desire in these books and also play an important role in the repulsion/attraction dynamic seen between the races. The paper assesses that both of these books leave little hope for humanitarian, loving relationships between the races, as they both often demonize white society.

From the Paper:

"Interracial sexual desire in both Ellison's book and Malcolm X's autobiography is played out against a backdrop of extreme social stratification and inequalities in social power. In both books, African Americans are presented as largely powerless and socially 'inferior' to whites. Racism is prevalent and often rampant, and African Americans are seen as a lower social class. African Americans are largely poorer and uneducated in comparison to their white counterparts, and are not afforded the social and political freedoms seen to white. This social stratification often is reinforced by brutally racist acts, such as the blurring of houses, and the beating and hanging of African American men. Within both books, African Americans are seen as inferior to whites in the social structure of the time."

More papers on Malcolm X and Ellison:

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• Analytical Essay # 29056 : "Racism in Literature"

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