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Chapter Fifteen  

Chapter 15
Malcolm X's Location: Harvard College
During this chapter, we find out that Elijah Muhammad has gotten older and is not in as good of health as he used to be. Because of this, his doctors advised that he move to Arizona or some other dry place. They said that a warm dry place would be better for his health. When Elijah Muhammad moved to Arizona it became harder for Malcolm X to speak to him. Elijah told Malcolm to rely more on his own thoughts and instincts but eventually ties began to break down a bit between Malcolm X and Elijah Mulmmmad. As Muhnmmad began appearing less and less in public, Malcolm X became more in demand for different public speaking events including ones at places like Harvard. While Malcolm X was enjoying a11 of the attention and fame that he is getting from doing this speaking, and enjoying the college speaking circuit, both Elijah Muhammad and the rest
of the Nation disapprove. Many people in the nation feel that Malcolm is enjoying his success a little bit too much and that he plans to take over the Nation of Islnm. After being ridiculed by those in the Nation he starts to turn down different publicity related offers like interviews. The chapter ends by Malcolm remembering the story of Icarus. Icarus's father made him wings to fly with and the wings were held on with wax. The
only condition that his father had about him flying was that he could not go too high. Icarus had fun, but began to crave more and decided to fly higher. When he did, the wax holding the wings on melted and icarus fell back down to Earth. The moral of that story is that Malcolm X knew that the only reason that he had gotten popular and well respected was because of the Nation of islam. He would never forget a1l that they did for him and was forever in debt to the Nation.