Comparing and contrasting of the Malcolm X Autobiography, Elie Wiesels Night, and the Epic of Gilgamesh - Essay Example

?Comparing and Contrasting One of the most prevalent themes in literature is the struggle for freedom and self-determination. While not all great literature considers this as a central thematic element, many of the greatest written works grapple with these issues as central tenants of the narrative. Throughout the course, the investigation into a number of texts has demonstrated the prevalence of these thematic elements. While this theme has been a prevalent element, it’s also clear that its articulation and understanding takes on a variety of forms. This essay compares and contrasts the way writers have demonstrated this theme in the works of the Malcolm X Autobiography, Elie Wiesel’s Night, and the Epic of Gilgamesh. While not fiction, the Autobiography of Malcolm X presents as compelling and fantastical a portrait of human existence as can be found in even the most wildly imaginative works of literature. There are a variety of prominent themes throughout the work, but perhaps the most compelling is the theme of self-determination and freedom. In addition to the highly articulate prose, one of the reasons this story makes such an impression is the fact that the struggle for self-determination is not that of a single man, but of an entire race of people struggling for freedom in a land that has oppressed and maligned them. In these regards, Malcolm X begins by establishing the nature of oppression. He states, “In one sense, we were huddled in there, bonded togethher in seeking security and warmth and comfort from each other, and we didn’t know it. All of us—who might have probed space, or cured cancer, or built industries—were, instead, black victims of the white man’s American social system” (Malcolm X). This is important as it establishes the structural dimensions of what Malcolm X perceives as the pivotal element of the Civil Rights Movement, of which himself and other African Americans must strive to overcome. For Malcolm X the issue of self-determination isn’t one of simply competing in society, but rather of redefining the very nature of the social order so that a great degree of freedom and success can be achieved. As the text progresses, Malcolm X considers the nature of his own life in terms of the larger question of African American oppression. He writes, “I reflected many, many times to myself upon how the American Negro has been entirely brainwashed from ever seeing or thinking of himself, as he should, as a part of the nonwhite peoples of the world” (Malcolm X). In these regards, Malcolm X is further considering the nature of oppression and the means by which the social order has operated to convince African Americans that the freedom and self-determination they deserve has been withheld from them by society through a sort of brainwashing. It’s clear that within this passage there is a great degree of anger on Malcolm X’s part that is indicative of his struggle for freedom. Later in the text, he further illustrates his quest for self-determination, indicating, “I’ve had enough of someone else’s propaganda.…I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against” (Malcolm X). One sees that ultimately he has become so increasingly angry at his oppressive conditions to the point that he believes violence is a viable solution to the problem. While not a memoir or autobiography in the sense of the Autobiography of Malcolm X, it’s clear that the general reflective nature and structure of Elie Wiesel’s Night is very similar to that of the Malcolm X text. Of course, the major difference is the context of the fight for freedom, with Night occurring in the Nazi Concentration camps of World War II. Whereas the Autobiography of Malcolm X has a tone of anger at the oppressive mechanisms that stand between the individual and freedom, because of the gravity of the situation Night takes on an almost nihilistic tone of despair punctured by moments of hope. In considering the nature of self-determination, the novel’s nihilism attests to a humanistic approach to freedom. Wiesel writes, “Where is God? Where is He?” someone behind me asked…Where is God now?”?And I heard a voice within me answer him:?“Where is He? Here He is—He is hanging here on this gallows. . . .” (Wiesel). While this may seem cursory to the question of self-determination, it demonstrates that in the concentration camp and the depths of despair, the narrator has abandoned notions of spiritual determination for a sense of self that is rooted in existentialism. As the novel progresses, this worldview in regards to self-determination is put into action. During the prisoners’ run from Buna, Wiesel writes, “We were masters of nature, masters of the world. We had forgotten everything—death, fatigue, our natural needs. Stronger than cold or hunger, stronger than the shots and the desire to die, condemned and wandering, mere numbers, we were the only men on earth” (Wiesel). In this sense, the prisoners’ literal striving towards freedom is directly linked to their own will and drive. In comparison to the Autobiography of Malcolm X one notes that the general structure of the struggle is different. For Malcolm X the struggle for freedom only came through changing the nature of the social order; for the individuals in Night, the challenge is not in restructuring the nature of society, but in mounting the internal will to fight and overcome their condition. In these regards, the Night is ultimately concerned with the struggle for freedom on a more individual level. While both the Autobiography of Malcolm X and Night are powerful 20th century texts, the Epic of Gilgamesh is recognized as one of the earliest texts written. Still, it’s notable that this mythic text considers the similar theme of self-determination and freedom. The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Night both root the main elements restricting individual freedom in different aspects. In the Epic of Gilgamesh the reader sees a different incarnation of this struggle for self-determination. While various interpretations abound in the story, it’s clear that there are deep mythic undertones that relate both literally and symbolically to the quest for immortality. In these regards, the freedom and self-determination that Gilgamesh seeks is a sort of transcendent reality. Towards the end of the epic, as it seems all hope is lost, the story takes a twist and states, “Study the brickwork, study the fortification;?climb the ancient staircase to the terrace;??study how it is made; from the terrace see?the planted and fallow fields, the ponds and orchards.??One league is the inner city, another league ?is orchards; still another the fields beyond;??over there is the precinct of the temple” (Tablet XI). This statement indicates that Gilgamesh’s self-determination is ultimately rooted in his home. In these regards, one notes that the Epic of Gilgamesh differentiates itself from the previous texts as its concern with freedom is more rooted to metaphysical reality or meaning than simple self-realization or overcoming social oppression. In conclusion, it’s clear that the theme of self-determination and freedom are prevalent throughout the Autobiography of Malcolm X, Night, and the Epic of Gilgamesh. In terms of the Autobiography of Malcolm X, the fight for self-determination is demonstrated through the resistance of an oppressive social structure that attempts to restrict race. In Night, the quest for freedom is demonstrated through a humanistic quest to escape the Nazi concentration camps. Finally, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, this theme is demonstrated in the metaphysical quest for immortality. While all these texts approach the issue from different angles, they all share this fundamental concern with freedom and self-determination. References Anon (2003). Epic of Gilgamesh. New York: Penguin. Malcolm X (2001). Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Penguin. Wiesel, Elie (2006). Night. New York: Hill & Wang. Read More