Alienation

Baldwin's screenplay One Day, When I Was Lost: A Scenario begins with the theme of alienation. Earl Little, Malcolm X's father, is a preacher who is alienated from white society. Earl fully believes in the philosophy of Marcus Garvey: the only way that black people can successfully find their freedom is to come together, pool their resources, and move back to Africa to begin a new nation. After Earl's death, Malcolm's mother, Louise, becomes alienated from life and suffers a mental breakdown upon the loss of her children.

Malcolm graduates from high school. Despite the fact that he has done well in school, he is alienated from furthering his education because of the comments of his counselor. The counselor tells Malcolm that he has expectations that far exceed the limits of his race. Later, in prison, Luther preaches a philosophy held by the Black Muslim Movement that praises...