Tahara Fuller

October 25, 2006

English III, PD 4

Chavez Notes

 

            Many writers have things they wanted to argue, evidence that needed to be taught and assumptions that were stated. In pages 94-96 in The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Malcolm uses types of fallacies, arguments, assumptions, evidence, and credibility to show the difference in race and how he learned from the prostitutes. He began his wild journey in the streets of Harlem and in the building where he worked at.

 

            To show the truth about many men, Malcolm X uses two types of fallacies for this section. First, by using appeal to common opinion, he says what type of men runs to the prostitutes. The common type men are husbands. Malcolm writes, “It was husbands-who had left home in time to stop by this St. Nicholas Avenue house before they went to work” (pg 95). This is appeal to common opinion because all men don’t run to prostitutes many of them don’t have wives. Second Malcolm uses false dichotomy, he is telling what times the rush usually come through. Malcolm writes, “full house crowd that rushed in between say six and seven-thirty in the morning” (pg 95). This is a false dichotomy because he is giving two options but its more.

 

            To explain the reasoning of how men think Malcolm X used two arguments. First, argument by logic, he stated why men go to prostitutes. If men don’t get it from their wives they go to the prostitutes: Malcolm says “wives were so disagreeable and had made their men so tense that they were robbed of the satisfaction of being men” (pg 95). This is by logic because Malcolm is stating a strong reason. Second Malcolm uses argument by causation, why men take advantage of prostitutes. Malcolm writes: “All women, by nature, are fragile and weak” (pg 96). This is causation because since the men can’t get it from the wives then it causes them to act like the boss towards prostitutes and that’s why they see them as fragile and weak.

 

            Malcolm X showed two assumptions: stated and implicit to show what the people of Harlem believed. The first one was a stated assumption, which said what the prostitutes thought and Malcolm believed to be true. He said “..the prostitutes had to make it their business to be students of men” (pg 95). The next one is implicit assumption what the prostitutes believed about pimps but it was not believed really believed. Malcolm said “the prostitutes said that most men needed to know what the pimps knew” (pg 96). These two assumptions are good because it was something that was believed and not believed.

 

            To show the two kinds of evidence: anecdotal and empirical evidence, he had a weak and strong evidence. In the first one with anecdotal evidence he said how women are weak. Malcolm said “All women by nature are fragile and weak” (pg 96). This is an anecdotal evidence because he just judging on the prostitutes and not really on all women. The next one is logical evidence when they talk about the ten dollar a minute man. Malcolm said “he never lasted more than two minutes..but he always left twenty dollar” (pg 95). This is logical evidence it’s strong because it’s stating a fact and is backed up with how much he leaves.

 

            Prostitutes and married men have their way in the business and pleasure world, and Malcolm finds evidence in both. He uses fallacies by common opinion and false dichotomy to show the one type of men. He also uses argument by logic and causation to show strong reasons and because of a certain incident it caused this to happen. Malcolm then uses implicit and stated assumptions to show what’s believable and not believable.

Finally he uses anecdotal and logical evidence to show weak and strong evidences. So in The Autobiography of Malcolm X he can say he learned a lot.