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   akannan Teacher
   Middle School

   eNotes Editor

   I think that there are distinct moments when allusions are highly evident in the work.  Initially, I would propose that when Malcolm is in jail, and professes to feel the touch of the Honorable Elijah Muhammed, he compares himself to Paul on the Road to Damascus, as he felt the touch of Jesus through a blinding light.  Another allusion to religious iconography would be Malcolm's Hajj, where he is able to walk the steps of the Prophet Muhammed and pray in the holy city of Mecca.  In many ways, this voyage is a spiritual rebirth, and is one that he explains in such terms many times over.  While not directly stated, when he returns to the states from his Hajj, Malcolm sees himself as something of a sacrificial figure.  He begins to see his role as something of a unifier, someone who is meant to sacrifice himself in the name of establishing a clearer and more productive set of relations on the issue of race.  I believe that this is essential for Malcolm, and he sees himself as a Christ-like figure, or one that is meant to surrender his own personalized notions of the good for this larger and more collective goal and entity.

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   Posted by akannan on Thursday October 1, 2009 at 5:29 PM