Malcolm X & Sophia Malcolm First Notices

Malcolm X & Sophia Malcolm first notices Sophia (a name given by Malcolm, we have no idea what her real name is) at a Negro dance at the Roseland Club in Boston, MA. Malcolm's date was Laura; Laura was an intelligent, well-brought-up, young, black woman. Laura is on her second date with Malcolm. Sophia walks into the club and immediately draws Malcolm's attention. The author describes her as a blond woman with shoulder length hair, well built -- but one can assume that she was well endowed.

Sophia wears expensive clothes and drives a convertible. She is obviously well off. We see that Sophia, as a person, is self-assured -- almost brash. She walked into a venue for blacks to find a black man "for herself." This was unusual. Typically, white women who wanted alliances with black men often arranged it through agencies and pimps who exclusively catered to such needs of rich white people. From her approaches, Malcolm decides that Sophia has had an experience with black men before.

We are not sure whether her character is predisposed to attraction to black men, or whether she rebels against the white, affluent, largely protected society where she was brought up and where she currently resides.

Her rebellious nature extends to a certain point: she does not concern herself with the opinions of the people in the black neighborhoods on whom she forces, neither is she conscious of being seen with Malcolm at dances, parties and other outings attended by blacks; on the other hand, she lives a sedate existence, in her own white neighborhood. She is even married to a well to do man.

She does not let on her "proclivities" to the white people around her, preferring to be seen herself as a pure conformist. Her "other" existence in white society is known to Malcolm, she unhesitatingly declares her selfishness -- not worrying how her husband would be affected if he found out about her other life.

While one does not know why Sophia chooses Malcolm to initially seduce among the many black men she sees in the Roxbury Club -- may be she sees something special -- indicative of Malcolm's future civil rights role. She is anxious to keep him; gives Malcolm money, is always anxious to please him, and does not show any interest in other black men she meets while with Malcolm.

She drives a long distance to be with him (though never lets him visit her), in a part of town looked down upon by society. She does not have any problems relating to prostitutes, pimps and other such elements of society. Among her people, Sophia may be "just another" person, but in Malcolm's presence she sees herself as special. She feels that she is needed by Malcolm (who does not feel the same) and never fails to make herself available.

She recognizes that Malcolm feels a certain status symbol in dating a white woman, and that makes her feel special. Sophia can be classified as a rebel with nary a clue. The characteristics of her character indicate a complex and confused personality. She felt easily intimidated when she was treated with cool respect (by Malcolm's brother) -- she expected that since she was white, most black people would defer to her point-of-view. She pretends that she knows what she wants and makes no apologies.

Sophia's character does not change; she grows with Malcolm and graduates with him. She joins in his life of crime (and even recklessly recruits her sister to abet her) without a single pang of conscience. Sophia feels the essence of her being when she is Malcolm's presence. She treats him as her life-partner. Sophia does not respect the norms of society. She is selfish.