Symbolism of Malcolm’s Nicknames and Names in The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Abstract

This paper deals with the symbolism of Malcolm’s nicknames and names in The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Malcolm X & Haley, 2015). The scrutiny of these nicknames and names stands for an outstanding attempt to surface a good understanding of the most ambiguous and changeable figure of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Nicknames such as Homeboy, Red, and Satan are very evocative in his life story because they reveal dark and nightmarish stereotypes and episodes of his depravity process in ghettoes and in prison during his childhood and adolescence. This trilogy of nicknames shows how he is involved in illegal and immoral activities such as gambling, gang life, drug dealings, and housebreakings. Therefore, names such as Malcolm X, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, and Omowale, on their behalf, introduce the reader to the protagonist’ rebirth process under Islamic influences with the perspective of quest of true identity on American soil and in Africa. They show how he becomes a radical Black Muslim, how he adopts orthodox Islam in Mecca, and how he ties a strong attachment to Africa.