Discussion Topic
Shorty's career aspirations and current occupation in The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Summary:
In The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Shorty aspires to become a musician, specifically a professional saxophone player. However, he currently works as a shoeshine boy, engaging in various hustles to make a living. His dreams reflect a common struggle for many in his community, balancing aspirations with the harsh realities of their socio-economic environment.
What is Shorty's occupation in The Autobiography of Malcolm X?
In the book, Malcolm first meets Shorty at a poolroom in Roxbury, Massachusetts. There, Shorty is the employee who racks up balls for the pool players. A pool rack is used for this purpose; it is a plastic or wooden frame used to arrange the balls before each starting game at the pool table.
When Malcolm sees Shorty, he is filling up an aluminum can with hand powder. This is the powder billiard players sometimes use to help them maneuver the cue stick with greater ease. As Malcolm and Shorty talk, Malcolm lets on that he's looking for a job. Shorty promises to put out a good word for him; in short, Shorty takes on to Malcolm immediately, and he promises to show his new friend around. Shorty hails from Lansing, Michigan. He dropped out of his first year of high school and lived with some relatives in Detroit for a while. Then, he moved to Roxbury, near Boston, where he now lives with a cousin.
Shorty is only working at the pool shop until he can gather up enough money to start a band. Meanwhile, thanks to his gambling habits, Shorty is able to put together enough money to buy a saxophone. He takes saxophone lessons after work and believes that there is plenty of money to be made playing gigs at clubs around town. It is Shorty who finds Malcolm his first job as a shoe-shine boy at the Roseland State Ballroom in Boston.
What is Shorty's career goal in The Autobiography of Malcolm X?
Shorty's career goal is to one day organize and play in his own small band. The job he has working in the poolroom when he first meets Malcolm is "just to keep ends together while he learn(s) his horn. Shorty had won some money gambling a couple of years ago, and with his winnings, he had bought a saxaphone. He is currently taking lessons "with some other studs".
Shorty does not want to be a part of a big band that travels great distances playing a constant series of one-night-stands, "just to say (he) played with Count or Duke or somebody". He believes that "there's a lot of bread to be made gigging right around (there) in Roxbury", and wants to start a band to play at the local clubs (Chapter 3).
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