Malcolm X vs. Ben Franklin

The most apparent similarity between the two is that both Malcolm and Benjamin have a love for literature. In particular, for learning the meaning of individual words in order to be able to read and understand what is being read, as well as to write more eloquently and with greater vocabulary.

In both essays, there came the defining moment when the narrator actually realized that his vocabulary/writing wasn’t “up to par”. In his essay Malcolm wrote, “Every book I picked up had few sentences which didn’t contain anywhere from one to nearly all of the words that might as well have been in Chinese.” It was then that he began his study of the dictionary; by simply copying the words and repeating them to himself, he learned them. For Benjamin, this realization came while reading the third volume of the Spectator. However not only did he realize his vocabulary was insufficient, but that he was lacking a certain quality of elegancy in his writing. Furthermore, both writers preferred to read and study at night, and to be alone while doing so.

The obvious difference between the two essays is the time period in which they were written (nearly 200 years apart). Beyond that, Benjamin had a mixture of classroom education and first-hand experiences that shaped him into a writer. Malcolm describes his education as “homemade.” It becomes obvious when reading both of these essays that there is something missing from Malcolm’s – family. Benjamin’s family wasn’t always encouraging, but at least they were there. Malcolm was all on his own, with only the characters in his books to encourage him.  Lastly, while Malcolm was strictly orthodox Muslim, Benjamin maintained a Christian perspective.

While these essays have certain aspects that may compare and contrast, both of these men were excellent in communicating their views/opinions/beliefs through writing and speaking. There is no doubt we have something to learn from them.