Malcolm X Ch. 1

     I think that the most important part of chapter one is how Malcolm's mother and family was affected by the Welfare people after the father's death.  Their mother went crazy, and she never accepted the Welfare.  She wanted to preserve her family's pride, and no one understood why she would not accept the food to feed her children.  I think that horrible situations like this cause people to behave differently based off of emotions.  Malcolm's mom did not want to accept free food because she did not want the Welfare people intruding on her and questioning her parenting and ability to provide for her children.

      The Welfare people made surprise visits where they would separate the eight kids and ask them questions.  This seemed like they were trying to tear the family apart and prove that the mother was not taking proper care of her children.  The kids eventually went to different foster homes when the mom went to the State Mental Hospital, but they continued to stay close.  At the end of the chapter, Malcolm said, "I truly believe that if ever a state social agency destroyed a family, it destroyed ours.  We wanted and tried to stay together.  Our home didn't have to be destroyed.  But the Welfare, the courts, and their doctor, gave us the one-two-three punch" (Haley 22).  This summarizes the family's struggle to stay together and make ends meet while the Welfare people were tearing them apart.