The worldviews of the author in this book are very blatant, as it is an autobiography. Throughout the story, the worldviews of Malcolm X change, leading to many critical moments of his life. Malcolm X's outlook and changing perspective on racism lead to many pivotal moments that showcase the change in his demeanor from his childhood to his passing.
The first showing of his worldview is in his childhood, following the death of his father, followed by the loss of his mother as she became mentally unstable. He says that he has "no mercy or compassion in him for a society that will crush people, and then penalize them for crushing under the weight" (22). It was at this point where Malcolm's hatred for society had developed, after the two most important figures in his life had been taken away from him due to "society's failure, hypocrisy, greed, and lack of mercy and compassion" (22). In the way he speaks, he sounds very angry and resentful towards the society that took away his father and mother, leaving him and his siblings to fight for themselves. In this chapter specifically, he also addresses the belief that African-American people were viewed more as statistics than people, which he believed would turn him into a very "vicious and dangerous person" (22).
Another instance of his changing worldview came from when he was sent to prison, and his subsequent conversion to Islam. Upon being sent to prison, he realizes that the series of unfortunate events in his life were more a reflection on racism than they were an attack on him and his family. Upon observing the slums which he inhabited where he became involved with crime and drugs. Islam gives Malcolm an outlook that he had not previously had, which was that while his years of crime were by no means good, they were essential for personal growth and that Allah (God) would give him a chance to redeem himself. In a way, he believes that Allah had guided him through many trials and tribulations to teach him lessons; by making many mistakes, he is offered a chance to learn and correct them in the future. His worldview shifts focus from feeling like the crimes against him were an attack on him and his family, to addressing the issue that there is a clear divide between the blacks and whites - and that it was destroying lives other than his own. This is where his "extremist ideals", as some may call them, stem from.
Malcolm X's ideals are merely a reflection of the life he experienced. There are a few other instances where his worldview changes too, like when he leaves the Nation of Islam, where he decides to pursue a completely nonviolent movement. His worldview was almost exclusively impacted by his experiences, and not inherent ideals that he was simply born with. One could say his worldviews were pretty malleable and subject to change based solely on his experiences, a contrast to the rigidity of certain views of other people. For example, the inherent prejudice towards black people in South-Asian communities is still prominent, even here in Canada. A few of my relatives cannot bear the idea of someone that is non-Bengali marrying into one of our families, despite living in one of the most multicultural countries on Earth, moreso living in one of the most diverse communities in the Greater Toronto Area. It seems that regardless of the intensity and/or amount of exposure they have to other groups, be it the LGBTQ community or other ethnic groups, certain people just simply cannot change their minds. All it took for Malcolm X, however, was exposure to different life experiences. He went from a belief that black and white people should be separated to almost believing that they should all be working to tackle the same cause, and make equality no longer be a dream.
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