Journal: What makes a novel a classic?

A novel is a classic when it inspires people during the time of its publication, but is still relevant tens and even hundreds of years later. If the author writes a really compelling story, it can be related to different time periods and never seems out of touch. 

Specific authors can also make a book a classic. If an author writes one novel that is a classic (based on the above criteria), then other books written by him or her are more likely to also become classics. Once the author has gained recognition as a great writer, people are more likely to view his or her subsequent works as classics as well.

Classic novels never go out of style. They relate to everyone in all time periods. And so they will be read for hundreds of years. 

Wuthering Heights: Selfish and Stingy?

"All rich people are selfish and stingy" 

This statement could not be farther from the truth. How can it be when there are people like Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey, who give millions of dollars away to charity. They take their own money, which they work hard to earn, and give it to the less fortunate. Bill Gates and his wife help to prevent the spread of disease in Africa. Oprah built her own school for underprivileged  girls. How can these people be selfish and stingy?

I know what you're all thinking: But what about the super-spoiled rich people on shows like the Real Housewives and in books like the Clique? I totally agree that they are (or act anyway) completely spoiled and out of touch with the real world. They are selfish and nasty to people, even those who they consider friends. They are stingy about gifts - rating if they were expensive enough. 

So I get it. The media likes to portray the rich as Stingy. Selfish. And Stupid. Don't get me wrong - some are; just like in any economic class. But to say that all rich people selfish and stingy is a huge generalization. And it is wrong for many people.

Malcolm X: Comments

1) In a Manner of Speaking: "I think I exceeded the 100 word requirement. Just a little bit."

That has got to be like a thousand words. Wow - and deep too.

I totally agree with your analysis of the Muslim culture but feel the need to point out something about your ideas about Christianity. To say that all Christians "spread love, but not if it's between two men. Equal rights for all, but there continue to be restrictions for some. Jesus loves everybody, unless they are not baptized, or gay, or have had an abortion, or curse, or have sex before marriage" is a huge generalization. I am not a particularly religious person, but I am Christian. And I think that Christians get a bad rap from the extreme evangelical right and some of the Catholic rhetoric.There a many liberal churches who are against none of these things. There are many sections of Christianity, most of which are not as extreme as outsiders of other religions perceive .

However, I like you point about the generalization of whites as devils. It is way to extreme. In chapter 15, a white girl asked Malcolm what she could do rebuke her "devil" heritage. And he said she could not do anything. How can Malcolm expect whites to change if they are willing to and he doesn't let them.

Okay. Now I'm ranting too.
Anyway - great post, it is really insightful

2) MaJ - Malcolm X.V. Fraud

I agree with your points about placing to much faith in fallible humans. However, I think Elijah Muhammad was in a class all his own. I think he might have not believed in anything he was teaching, just wanted to have a following to gain power. When his power was in jeopardy because of the adultery charges, he would do anything to retain his empire. Including killing Malcolm, who would naturally assume leadership of the NOI. So overall, Elijah Muhammad meant to have people place him on level with the divine, and figured he would cover up any human mistakes.

Anyway - great post. I liked your connection to the priest sex scandal.

3) MaJ - Malcolm X. III. That Monkey Business

I thought that the NY Post cartoon of the President Obama as the chimp was obviously racist. I never realized before that Bush was portrayed a monkey - they never seemed to connect. I guess both were insulting, but the racial tension in America gives a stronger reaction to a black man portrayed as a monkey. 

Great idea!

4) Blogfrog - Malcolm II "I am a Jew"

I also found many of Malcolm's comments insulting. He seems to attack every religion except his own. Now, I can't really judge him because at the time, an African-American's voice would not be heard by the rest of the country unless they were extreme. Although I don't agree with his views, I can kind of understand his (however unpleasant) reasoning. 

I agree that you, along with everyone else, should be proud of their culture. Why shouldn't you think of yourself as a Jew first? It is exactly like Malcolm thinks of himself as black first. 

I don't really define myself by only my religion, or ethnicity, etc. But I can see why some people would. So Malcolm should not attack someone for their personal beliefs.

Malcolm X: Elijah Muhammad (5)

Something about Elijah Muhammad does not sit well with me. I have a feeling that this guy is hiding something or is totally false all together. 

I mean, he came out of absolutely nowhere. He just claimed to be a prophet of Islam who had spoken to Allah. Nowadays, people claim to be Jesus reincarnated all the time - and no one believes them. And he seems to brainwash his followers into complete submission to his "word of Allah". Why would someone who was so holy, chosen by God, need to brainwash people to follow him? He should talk with such conviction that people believe him because it is true, not because it is repeated and screamed. 

And why would he go against everything he was preaching, when he committed adultery? He was constantly preaching fidelity to ones spouse because it was commanded by Allah. And then he made the excuse that he was fulfilling God's prophecy. I personally don't believe this, but the Brothers and Sisters in his mosque did. 

So he should have been fine. But he showed his guilt by plotting to kill Malcolm to "shut him up". Elijah could tell that Malcolm was becoming disenchanted and could possibly oust him as a fraud with the whole "prophecy" deal. 

I know I was kind of ranting on and on about this. But I want everyone to know that this is just a feeling that I got and a possible explanation behind it. I fully respect anyones decision to follow Elijah Muhammad or the NOI. This is not an attack on the religion or its people. 

In fact, I could just be reacting to the way Malcolm told the story. Because he saw something "shady" in Mr. Muhammad that could have influenced my thinking. This website is from the NOI in support of Elijah Muhammad  http://www.noi.org/elijah_muhammad_history.htm after reading it, I feel that Elijah might have been totally telling the truth. Plus there is no denying his greatness as a civil rights leader.

Now I am even more confused then I was before. The spin on Malcolm's story tells me one thing, but the NOI website shows me another. So this entire post could be totally untrue - it is just speculation. :)

Malcolm X: Foreign Hospitality (4)

While Malcolm was on his trip to Mecca, everyone who lived on his travel route seemed overly friendly and hospitable to him. He met and became friends with Muslims on the plane, the Shawarbi family and many others in Mecca. 

I was really surprised by Malcolm's reaction to this hospitality. I mean, he was always a fiercely independent, wanting to do everything himself. Then he was just accepting help left and right, trying to cheat the system to complete his pilgrimage faster. They kicked someone off a plane for him, and cut the line at the high court to allow his admittance into Mecca. Coming from someone who was such a strong advocate of equality, he was quick to accept any unfair advantage that came his way.

Also, shouldn't some survival instinct in Malcolm kicked in? People in the US were constantly planning to kill him, and it never occurred to him people in the Middle East would try to do the same. All of the people Malcolm met seemed to idolize him, but it could have been an act. Malcolm could have been walking straight into a trap set by the NOI on his travel route.

This speech is about Malcolm recognizing that people want to kill and he knows that he is going to die.  http://www.malcolm-x.org/speeches/spc_12__62.htm

I really thought Malcolm would have been more cautious and wary of strangers. Normally, in foreign countries (besides in tourist areas), the locals are not exactly thrilled to see you. And Mecca is not the place to go and relax on the beach.

When I went to Canada, the people were nice in the tourism run Niagara Falls area, because our money was what was driving the economy. But as soon as we left the tourist area, the locals were kind of cold towards us. Not that they were mean, just that they were like "why are you here?" 

Now, I know that when going to Mecca, Muslims all feel a sense of unity and family, but Malcolm should have been more cautious : he was a wanted man. So that "why are you here?" could have quickly turned into "I am going to kill you to shut you up!" for him because he was such a controversial figure. 

Well, whatever. It was his life that he was not protecting while trusting foreign hospitality when many, many people wanted to see him dead.

Malcolm X: A Changed View (3)

I really had a different view of Malcolm after Wednesday's trip to Harlem. Previous to the trip, it was really hard for me to read the book and understand Malcolm's views. I hated when he made generalizations about "white devils" and seemingly brainwashed his followers. I had trouble getting past the constant attacks on white people to find the deeper meaning.

But our tour guide on the trip changed my view on the subject. He was African-American and said the Malcolm was a great person, and his idol. At first, I was confused because our guide did not hate us (even though we were white). Based on the book, I thought that all supporters of Malcolm hated white people. But our guide seemed to love us, and enjoyed that he could show us his world and culture.

Later, I finally understood what I was missing before. First, Malcolm's main goal was to help blacks, not hurt whites. But the only way he could help his own race was to put down whites. He was only being "anti-white" in order to advocate equality between all races. Second, not all of Malcolm's followers believed in the same extreme nature of his teaching, only in the basic ideas. But at the time, the extremist ideology was the only one that was accomplishing anything.  Third, Malcolm was forced into his extreme philosophy by a country that would not respond to anything less. If he had just talked about advancing blacks, without mentioning the "white devil", he would have never attracted the media attention that ultimately furthered his cause.

This website shows how Malcolm had a profound effect on African Americans, especially youth.  http://www.marxists.org/archive/novack/works/1967/julaug/mx02.htm . (Scroll down and look under "Arena of Influence")

When going to Harlem, I would have never guessed that my view of Malcolm X and the whole Nation of Islam would change so dramatically. That one tour guide, on that one day in New York City, changed my view on an entire culture and religion, for the rest of my life.

Malcolm X: Breaking Free (2)

In the "Black Muslims" chapter, Elijah Muhammad was giving a speech about black opportunity. "We, the black people here in America, we never have been free to find out what we could really do" (Haley 261). This references Malcolm's belief that oppressed blacks could have been astronauts, scientists, or lawyers to improve society if they were free. All of the African Americans potential to do great things went untested because of racism.

In a less extreme way, this relates to growing up and leaving home. I know that when I leave home, I will grow as a person because there will be less boundaries and rules. Although living at home is not  oppression, it is not totally free because the owner of the house sets the rules. In college and after, I will realize what  I can really do - whether it is working long hours, finding a way to pay bills and be financially responsible. These are things that I will find out about myself later in life, because they are unnecessary while living with my parents.

http://www.psychology.com/articles/?p=3

This website tells how teenagers grow into adults when they are responsible for everything in their lives. Especially at college, students find themselves because they have more freedom. Although with freedom and responsibility can come stress. But learning to deal with stress is also part of finding out what one is capable of handling.

Although Malcolm's inability to find his true potential is life long and race related, while mine is for a short (and necessary) time and age related, they are surprisingly similar. One can only find oneself is they are free to grow and experience life. 

Malcolm X: A Role Model? (1)

As I am reading chapters 7-9, I am questioning Malcolm's ability to be a role model at this point in his life. I am not saying that he doesn't become a role model and a great civil rights leader - just at this point in his life he seems to be moving down the wrong path. Supposedly Malcolm has some great revelation about his life when he finds Islam, but at this point I cannot really see that happening. He is going to have to change a lot in order to switch his path in life. 

Right now in the story, he is smoking cigarettes, "reefers" and doing all sorts of drugs. Not to mention his gambling addiction, love of guns and willingness to cheat the law. He decides to go on robberies and becomes a hustler. 

And yet he complains about how white people view African Americans, when all his actions promote that bad stereotype. Don't get me wrong, most white views of African Americans during the segregation period were biased, disgusting and wrong. But Malcolm is doing nothing to improve the stereotype - he is just falling into the category created by racist whites. He should try to prove them wrong, not right by being everything that they fear, and therefore look down upon. 

I have once been a victim of a stereotype. It was a few years ago and I was trying to something at a store. The clerk took one look at me and then charged me $40 for something that was supposed to be $4. When I pointed this very obvious fact out, he lowered the price to $10. I then had to point to the sign that said the actual price before he would charge me $4. I don't know whether he felt he could overprice me because I was young or because I was a girl, but I do know that he knew the correct price. The person before me on line had bought the exact same thing from the same clerk with no problem. The person in front of me was a male, business-type who I guess deserved more respect than I did in the eyes of that clerk. 

I am not, however, putting that one event on the same scale as Malcolm's suffering. We both had been victims of stereotype, but I could walk away from that situation and forget about it (until now I guess) while Malcolm had to deal with racial stereotyping every single day of his life.

Stereotyping always negatively affects the victim of it. Malcolm was forced to the extreme action that became his legacy because he was African American. This website talks about the negative effects of stereotyping : http://uanews.org/node/8818 . It has been proven that being aware of a stereotype negatively affects things such as test scores. 

I can see that Malcolm has potential to do great things, he just got caught up in the wrong crowd. But right now I cannot see how he will get out of his slump and become an activist. It will be interesting to see how this change will happen.

Malcolm X: Malcolm's Struggle

Throughout the beginning of the novel (up to about chapter 6), Malcolm struggles with his African-American identity. He wants to be white, but as he looks back, he realizes that he should be proud of his black heritage. As a child, Malcolm was preferred by his father because of his lighter brown skin. However, he was unfavored by his mother for the same reason. When he was older, Malcolm "conked" or straightened his hair to look more white. 

In the writing style of the novel, the older Malcolm looks back on his young life. His older self suggests that his younger self was naive and weak, by submitting to the socially acceptable views of the day. This is an interesting writing style because the reader can contrast the views while something is happening and the views in hindsight. 

Malcolm, like many adolescents, struggles with his personal identity. Being African-American in the time of segregation added to the pressures that he faces. As the story progresses, I think that Malcolm's present and hindsight views with begin to merge. He will become more proud of himself and his race, which will lead him to become an extremely important civil rights leader. 

Malcolm X: Black/White Racism

The "White Privilege" packet was really shocking. I never realized most of these things before (which I guess was the whole point) and felt bad about the ignorance about racial privilege.  Some of the ones that stuck out most in my mind were:

9) If I want to, I can be pretty sure of finding a publisher for this piece of white privilege.* This one was a little shaky for me because not all authors are white and people don't read books based on the race of the author. But I guess getting published could be easier by being white. 

24) I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to the "person in charge", I will be facing a person of my race.* This was a shock for me - its totally true and I never even realized it before. I hope this can change under the leadership of our new president!

26) I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting card, dolls, toys and children's magazines featuring people of my race.* Walk into any toy store and into the doll aisle - all you see is Caucasian babies. The only company that shows equality between ethnicities is the American Girl company, showcasing African, Asian and Caucasian dolls for purchase. Besides the American Girl company, this would be extremely offensive to me, if I wanted to by a doll and none looked like me. 

46) I can choose a blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin.* Now, makeup comes in every color imaginable, but "flesh color" is still, at least where I live, is white. (this is not due to racism - just to the norm of the area).

This realizations were really surprising for me. I never have thought about racial privilege and disadvantages deeply before, so this essay was really enlightening. I think that it is up to our generation to stop "white privilege" and advocate equality for all races.

 

* taken from "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh