Hair and English B

In the stories Hair and English B there are many similarities that can be made between the two, and with the lives of their authors as well. For one thing the stories were both written within the 1950-1960's period, in which segregation in North America was still enacted and fully tolerated. Their authors (Malcolm X and Langston Hughes) were also civil rights activists who saw the evil within segregation and fought to end it. However, despite their similarities, how both authors viewed life in segregated America in their stories differs very much considering the fact that they both were victims of the segregation. For example, in Langston Hughes story English B he expresses his thought that although he is less free than his white english teacher, they still influence each other and are both equally American. This differs from Malcolm X's story Hair, in which Malcolm tells the story of his first hair conking, and how he sees that experience as a degenerative one and states in the end that Black people are beautiful and as capable, if not even better, of anything a white man could do. These stories, although similar, clearly show a different message on how the authors feel on the segregation that occurred in North America.  

Malcom X

In the memoir titled hair by Malcom X Malcom tells the story of his first time conking his hair with his friend "Shorty". Although in the beginning of the story he seems extremely pleased by the results of the conking, in the conclusion of the story he contradicts what he originally wrote and states that this was his first step towards "self degeneration" and that instead of accepting the beautiful body that god bestowed upon him he was foolish enough to reject it and sear his hair into looking in a more "white" manor. Although this manner of writing can be confusing as it contradicts what he originally felt the true purpose of the writing can be manifested by looking at the type of writing it is. The story is a memoir, and in a memoir people write down memories in their lives that have sentimental value to them and ultimately define them as a person, such as someones first A+, or maybe the first time riding a bike. To Malcom X, this memory was the first time he conked his hair, and it showed him how foolish he was for rejecting who he was. Again why someone would see something as straight hair a sign of self degeneration is absurd, but after looking at Malcom X's life his personality and motives become more clear. All throughout his life it seems he was oppressed by white supremacists, and at one point in time the message of the supremacists got to him and he tried to become as "white" as possible. It wasn't until later in life however that he was able to accept who he was and become the person he is known for being. Therefore, his purpose in this story is to convey how he originally tried to conform to white standards but now realizes that this period of him was foolish as he was rejecting himself and his culture.