The Autobiography of Malcolm X

by

Malcolm X

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Malcolm X makes teaching easy.

Louise Little (Malcolm’s Mother) Character Analysis

Malcolm X’s mother, Louise Little was born in Granada to a black woman who had been raped by a white man. This traumatic past instills her with a disgust for her own lighter skin tone, a disgust which is passed down to Malcolm. After Malcolm’s father is killed, Louise gradually loses control of her family’s finances, and eventually is institutionalized for mental illness, where she remains for the next 23 years.

Louise Little (Malcolm’s Mother) Quotes in The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The The Autobiography of Malcolm X quotes below are all either spoken by Louise Little (Malcolm’s Mother) or refer to Louise Little (Malcolm’s Mother). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Race and Racism in America Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

Eventually my mother suffered a complete breakdown, and the court orders were finally signed. They took her to the State Mental Hospital at Kalamazoo.

It was seventy-some miles from Lansing, about an hour and a half on the bus. A Judge McClellan in Lansing had authority over me and all of my brothers and sisters. We were "state children," court wards; he had the full say-so over us. A white man in charge of a black man's children! Nothing but legal, modern slavery—however kindly intentioned.

Related Characters: Malcolm X (speaker), Louise Little (Malcolm’s Mother), Reginald Little, Hilda Little, Philbert Little, Wilfred Little
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
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Louise Little (Malcolm’s Mother) Quotes in The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The The Autobiography of Malcolm X quotes below are all either spoken by Louise Little (Malcolm’s Mother) or refer to Louise Little (Malcolm’s Mother). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Race and Racism in America Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

Eventually my mother suffered a complete breakdown, and the court orders were finally signed. They took her to the State Mental Hospital at Kalamazoo.

It was seventy-some miles from Lansing, about an hour and a half on the bus. A Judge McClellan in Lansing had authority over me and all of my brothers and sisters. We were "state children," court wards; he had the full say-so over us. A white man in charge of a black man's children! Nothing but legal, modern slavery—however kindly intentioned.

Related Characters: Malcolm X (speaker), Louise Little (Malcolm’s Mother), Reginald Little, Hilda Little, Philbert Little, Wilfred Little
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis: