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Nancy Cao
Professor Masulit
Ethnic Studies 21
26 September 2016
Malcolm X "Saved"
In Malcolm X's article "Saved," he explains how he became articulate and how he
educated himself in prison. He states that he had no education past the eighth grade, so when he
began to write letters he noticed that it did not make sense. He began to study the dictionary, and
eventually became very articulate. Words began to make sense and he added larger words to his
vocabulary. After studying the dictionary, he moved on to reading books. He began to read
novels related to his ethnic background and became very well-informed about slavery, African
history, the Treaty of Nanking, and more. He self-educated himself with the intention of
improving his vocabulary, and it benefitted him greatly.
This article from Malcolm X is very inspiring and eye-opening. The traditional school
system failed him and he ended up causing mischief in the street. His story is so motivating
because the American incarceration system does not really attempt to rehabilitate the people. In
America, people see criminals as inhumane monsters that need to be "taught a lesson," and
deserve torture. The point of jail and prison is not to torture the inmates, but to rehabilitate them
so they are able to return to society with a healthy mind. People who go to jail and are released
are more likely to return to jail over and over again. Our society fails to rehabilitate these people
and our jails and prisons continue to be occupied by the same people. However, in Malcolm X's
case, he found a motivation to learn how to write and read and become more articulate. He found

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expression in education and reading. He broke this constant cycle of people going back and forth
into jail, and he made a huge impact on society.