1. Why did Malcolm X want to get his hair conked? What did the conk symbolize to him at the time he got it? What does it symbolize at the time he writes about it?
He got his hair conked because he wanted it to be straight and look like a white person’s hair. It symbolized to be “pretty like a white man”. Now he believes it was a stupid symbolization which he can’t believe he was a part of.
2. Why do you think Malcolm X write this selection as a process explanation instead of a set of instructions?
The process shows more of how Malcolm X felt during the “conking” process also showing a more detailed version of the process.
3. Why do you think Malcolm X includes so many references to the pain and discomfort he endures as part of the process?
He wanted to refer to specific items to help the reader envision the amount of pain he was in. This helps them relate and understand how bad the pain was.
4. In the last paragraph, Malcolm X encloses several words in quotation marks. Why do you think he does this? What is the effect of these quotation marks?
He did this to show emphasis on these words. He wanted to say that they are nonsense and people shouldn’t feel inferior or superior to each other because of their skin color.
5. The Autobiography of Malcolm X was published in 1964, when many African Americans regularly straightened their hair. Is his message/thesis still relevant today? Are there any current trends or practices that you would consider a contemporary equivalent of conking?
I do think this message is still relevant today. There are definitely many trends that go along with different people. Everyone has their own essential style and they like to play it out to the extreme. For an example, Lady GaGa.
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