Chapter 4 - Summary, The Autobiography Of Malcolm X | The Autobiography of Malcolm X -Summary, Themes & Characters - Novels PDF Download

Laura

• So we'll lay the fourth chapter on you daddy-o. Just joking. Malcolm gives us an example of the crazy slang that they used back in the day. He was hip to the groove, or something like that, and had learned how to be a big city kid.
• But there's one problem. He can't dance. This problem is magically solved when one day someone invites him to the dance floor at a party. From then on he can't keep still.
• Malcolm quits his job after this because he doesn't have enough time to shine shoes and dance. Then he goes and gets a new zoot suit made so that he can show off at the next big ball.
• Ella gets him a new job as a soda fountain jerk (a soda and ice cream salesman) in the fancy part of town. Malcolm's not too excited, because he thinks everyone is phony. But then someone catches his eye. Laura.
• She's nerdy, shy, and doesn't put on airs. Malcolm likes her.
• Eventually, they get to talking and Malcolm learns that she loves school, wants to major in science, and likes to lindy hop. Since he's just gotten into the groove of dancing, he invites her to go to a ball with him. She's so excited that she almost faints.
• Fast-forward to the dance. Malcolm is amazed by how great Laura is at dancing. He's never danced with someone who moves as gracefully as she does. Present-day Malcolm says that he should have taken that as a sign of what would happen to Laura later. We're guessing it's not good.
• Anyway, Laura gets tired before the serious dancing starts so Malcolm takes up a new partner. They dance hard, rough, and sweaty. When it's time to take Laura home, she doesn't say a word.
• The next time that Malcolm sees Laura, she asks him to take her to a dance. This time Malcolm picks her up at home, where he meets her cranky grandma.
• This time when they dance, all eyes are on Laura and Malcolm. She doesn't quit when the hard-core dancing starts, and no one in the dance halls can believe how talented she is.
• But when it's all over and the crowd scrambles to get a piece of them, Malcolm completely forgets about Laura. He has a new lady in his eye. A blonde white woman named Sophia. With her on his arms he becomes the most popular guy around.
• After the whole ordeal with Laura, Malcolm doesn't see her for a long time. The next time they meet, she is a drug addict. Malcolm blames himself, and feels guilty about how he completely ignored her.
• A little while later, Malcolm gets a new job as a bus boy. Pearl Harbor is bombed.