Literary Narratives discuss the process of reading and writing, learning to read and write or teaching reading and writing. Malcolm X and Min-Zhan Lu both described their paths to reading and writing. Malcolm X learned by copying a dictionary and Min-Zhan Lu was educated by her parents with assistance from a Scottish Tutor as well as a formal schooling. Both faced a characteristic that is a component of literary narratives, the need to resolve a troublesome situation. Malcolm needed to be better able to express his ideas to friends and Mr. Elijah Muhammad. Min-Zhan Faced the issue of having to traverse between the world of opposing voices. Another property of the literary narrative is that it tells what happened. Were the issues facing the writer resolved. In Malcolm’s and Min_Zhan’s cases the answer was yes. In Malcolm’s case he mentions a English writer who inquired, “What’s your alma mater?”, (263) Learning to Read. He also states, how he “often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me.” (263) Learning to Read Min-Zhan’s defining moment came when she realized she couldn’t keep competing voices from interacting. She accepts the inevitability of the interaction and states “perhaps we need to call their, (students), attention to voices that may seem irrelevant to the discourse we teach rather than to encourage them to shut them out” (250) From Silence to Words: Writing as Struggle She further states, “I am almost grateful for the overwhelming complexity of the circumstances in which I grew up. For it was the complexity that kept me from losing sight of the effort and choice involved in reading and writing with and through a discourse.” (251) From Silence to Words: Writing as Struggle

Great assessment of Lu's essay. I was wondering if anybody would come to the conclusion that Lu's acceptance that it was impossible to separate the two voices in her readings and writings. I thought the description of her having to adjust her on voice to fit the needs of the social environment she was trying to please, taxing and I am sure that's how she felt, TAXED

Malcolm's experience learning to read also encompassed Asian and Orthodox Muslim cultures. He like Martin Luther King was influenced by Mahatma Ghandi and I had heard of the Opium wars and Boxer Rebellion but really did' know what they were about. I am off on a tangent, great assessment of how the essay used detailed descriptions.

I really never considered the 2nd indicator you described in Malcolm's essay. It gives room from for thought. Very interesting. Thanks for another viewpoint.

You are one of several people whose analysis I make sure to read. Great insight.