Malcolm X and Mike Rose essay comparison

Malcolm X's and Mike Rose's essays were similar in that they both outlined experiences in which the school system failed them. In Malcolm X's case, he took it upon himself to acquire a "homemade education." He dropped out of school after the 8th grade, and when he was in prison he taught himself to read and write by reading and copying the dictionary. In the case of Mike Rose, he was misplaced into a vocational track of learning where his teachers were ill-prepared and unenthusiastic and the students were not the school's top priority. Rose demonstrates how the school system fails so many kids who just seem to fall by the wayside. The two essays differed because the point of Malcolm X's was more about motivation while it seemed Rose's intention was to illustrate the flaw in the school system, though he did touch on motivation and how if the teacher is unmotivated, the students will be as well. Malcolm X took a specific obstacle, not knowing how to write, and overcame it by being so motivated to learn that he copied a dictionary.