The Achievement of Desire, by Richard Rodriguez and...

Richard Rodriguez, the author of The Achievement of Desire, and Malcolm X, the author of Learning to Read, describe the ways their lives were profoundly impacted, as well as altered, because of their quest for an education. Rodriguez writes about his academic successes, while Malcolm X describes his education as self-taught. Achieving an education changed both men and both men pursued an education for different reasons. In his writing The Achievement of Desire, Richard Rodriguez describes his pursuit of academic achievement as a way to distance himself from his family as well as his cultural roots: â€Å"†¦ A primary reason for my success in the classroom was that I couldn’t forget that school was changing me and separating me from the life†¦show more content†¦His vocabulary and the ability to express himself, especially through his letters to Mr. Elijah Muhammad, were lacking, as he desired the ability to express himself in an educated manner as opposed to u sing familiar street slang, which he was accustomed to using. He saw educated prisoners achieve a certain celebrity status and desired these skills as well as status. Malcolm X describes these inmates and the status they possessed: â€Å"There were a sizeable number of well-read inmates, especially the popular debaters. Some were said by many to be walking encyclopedias. They were almost celebrities† (212). He envied these educated men and became determined to grow to be educated. In pursuing his self-taught education, â€Å"Malcolm X emerged as the leading spokesman for black separatism, a philosophy that urged black Americans to cut political, social, and economic ties with the white community† (intro 210). Not seeking the prestige or degree for his education, his efforts made him a leading advocate for the civil rights and liberties of African Americans and a leading spokesperson for the Nation of Islam. Although both Richard Rodriguez and Malcolm X’ s lives were profoundly impacted by becoming educated, how they acquired their education and the consequences of becoming educated were different for each author. The path that Richard Rodriguez took in his questShow MoreRelatedQuality Improvement328284 Words   |  1314 PagesSeymour M. Selig, formerly of the Office of Naval Research; Dr. Lynwood A. Johnson, Dr. Russell G. Heikes, Dr. David E. Fyffe, and Dr. H. M. Wadsworth, Jr., Georgia Institute of Technology; Dr. Sharad Prabhu and Dr. Robert Rodriguez, SAS Institute; Dr. Scott Kowalski, Minitab; Dr. Richard L. Storch and Dr. Christina M. Mastrangelo, University of Washington; Dr. Cynthia A. Lowry, formerly of Texas Christian University; Dr. Smiley Cheng, Dr. John Brewster, Dr. Brian Macpherson, and Dr. Fred Spiring, theRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesEthical Dilemma Happiness Coaches for Employees 123 Case Inciden t 1 Is It Okay to Cry at Work? 124 Case Incident 2 Can You Read Emotions from Faces? 124 S A L S A L 5 Personality and Values 131 Personality 133 What Is Personality? 133 †¢ The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator 135 †¢ The Big Five Personality Model 136 †¢ Other Personality Traits Relevant to OB 139 x CONTENTS Values 144 The Importance of Values 144 †¢ Terminal versus Instrumental Values 144 †¢ Generational Values