Entry #6: Final Reflection

            Prior to reading the memoir, I am Malala, I was expecting to be thoroughly moved by Malala Yousafzai’s story. I can now conclude that I was correct in this expectation; I am amazed by how courageous and humble one individual could be under such tragic circumstances. I worried that the lengthy explanation of Yousafzai’s background might bore me, but it did the exact opposite. Because Yousafzai spoke of the history of her family, town, and country with so much description, I felt as if I knew her personally, which made the memoir affect me on a more intimate level.

            Her overall attitude in the memoir is perhaps the most inspiring part of it. Malala Yousafzai’s optimism only seems to increase throughout the book. By the end, she still sees hope ahead, and states, “To see each and every human being with a smile of happiness is my wish”(313). Her optimism has inspired me to change my reaction to problems in my own life. The fact that one girl endured and survived so much challenges me to build my confidence in myself so that I can more reliably overcome conflicts, most of which, I know, will be miniscule compared to Yousafzai’s.

            Additionally, I enjoyed how precise Yousafzai was about the time frame and order of the events in her story. It helped me grasp the concepts she brought up because I thought of them relative to other events along a timeline. The book is split into chapters, each under a part that represents a major time in Yousafzai’s life. This style of organization differed from other memoirs we read in class, such as Night by Elie Wiesel. The chapters in Night were nameless and numberless.

            Overall, I was thoroughly impressed by Yousafzai’s ability to create a well-organized and compelling memoir. The book was inspiring not just because of how amazing the story it contains is, but also because of the optimism of Yousafzai’s tone and the strength of her voice as an author.

Entry #5: Connections

President Obama’s national address at Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA, to students around the United States showcases concepts similar to those written about in I am Malala. In his speech, President Obama addresses the importance of education, stating that, “what you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.” Similarly, Malala Yousafzai hopes her education can help others. She states, “People prayed to God to spare me, and I was spared for a reason–to use my life for helping people” (301). Both the memoir and the speech emphasize the idea that one’s education will not only benefit the person being educated, but everyone around them. Both works also suggest that education is crucial to the betterment of our world, because those who are educated will be able to improve it.

Obama’s speech and I am Malala address other similar concepts as well, including how despite rough circumstances in kids' worlds these days, it is important that they not let themselves get tied down by their problems but rather continue to attend school. This perseverance, even defiance, is necessary to making change. Obama speaks of several students, who defied all the problems in their lives that set them up for failure, and moved on to use education as the path to a better life. Malala and her school friends, as well as all the girls going to school in her country, acted defiantly just by getting an education in a society where the education of girls is not supported by many extremists, like members of the Taliban.

Additionally, the tone in both the president's speech and Yousafzai’s memoir are hopeful because Obama and Yousafzai speak of their belief in a world of change. Yousafzai says her dream is to have, “education for every boy and girl in the world” (313). Throughout the memoir, she speaks with hopefulness that her dream will come true by stating things like “the Taliban are not our rulers”(311). Her words imply a hopeful tone because she makes it seem as though the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving her dreams can be overcome, just as she was able overcome the Taliban’s attack on her. Obama ends his speech with a similar statement of hopefulness, which is one that also prevails throughout his national address. He says, referring to students in school, “So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.” Because both Yousafzai’s memoir and Obama’s speech contain a hopeful tone, defiant theme, and the suggestion of the benefits of education, they are very similar, even if they refer to two countries on opposite sides of the world.

Entry #4: Title Significance

The title of the memoir, I am Malala, has both a simple literal meaning and a deeper figurative meaning. The title literally serves as an introduction to the author of the memoir, Malala Yousafzai, by stating her name and her identity. Furthermore, by saying “I am Malala” and not “My name is Malala,” the author identifies herself as “The Girl Who Stood Up For Education And Was Shot By The Taliban,” as the subtitle states, rather than introducing herself as a name without character behind it. Also, by introducing herself with only her first name, Yousafzai creates an immediate connection with the reader. Additionally, Yousafzai explains in the book how her father named her after a defiant and brave heroin in their country named Malalai. The title, I am Malala, suggests that her name encompasses who she is. Yousafzai is brave and defiant, just as Malalai was. For these reasons, making the title of the memoir I am Malala is significant in a literal sense because Malala Yousafzai is introducing herself to readers.

The novel figuratively portrays the message that Yousafzai tries to send throughout the memoir: that she will continue to be persistant and defiant no matter what. During the book, Yousafzai refuses to back down from all the obstacles that stand in her way during her fight for the education of girls. After being shot, Yousafzai speaks to her mother about her injuries in the hospital, saying, “‘It doesn’t matter if I can’t smile or blink properly,’ I told her. ‘I’m still me, Malala’”(292). This assertion of her own identity mirrors her refusal to stop standing for her beliefs. The boldness of the statement “I am Malala” characterizes Yousafzai’s very being and sets the tone for her defiance during the rest of the memoir. In other words, the title portrays Malala Yousafzai’s confidence in being herself even though it is her identity that puts her in life-threatening situations. The last line of the memoir is perhaps the best representation of this. Yousafzai states, “I am Malala. My world has changed but I have not” (313). The title serves as a clear message to the Taliban and other detractors that she has no intention of disappearing or stepping down from her fight.

Her confidence in being herself, someone of the female gender, is also significant because women in her society are thought to be much less worthy than men. In the first paragraph of the novel Yousafzai already makes this clear by stating, “I was a girl in a land where rifles are fired in celebration of a son, while daughters are hidden away behind a curtain, their role in life simply to prepare food and give birth to children” (13). In her society, a girl making her voice heard, especially in order to give power to other women and girls, is very uncommon and frowned upon by many. This makes Yousafzai's assertion of her identity even more significant, because it defies the standards of the society she lived in.

Entry #3: Emotional Reaction

Throughout the memoir, Malala Yousafzai speaks of her remarkable passion for education. Her determination to continue her fight for education even after her tragic shooting is made clear in the last few pages of the novel where Yousafzai summarizes her after thoughts on her journey, her present state, and her future. When she speaks of her father’s plea for her to stay in England to be educated, she responds by saying “he is right. I want to learn and be trained well with the weapon of knowledge. Then I will be able to fight more effectively for my cause”(311).

This passage impressed me not only because it metaphorically displayed Yousafzai’s passion for education by comparing her knowledge to weapons and her goal of winning her fight, but also because it made me contemplate my own thoughts on education. Yousafzai says she wants to learn because it will enable her to make changes in the world, which is perhaps the greatest reward of receiving an education. However, when my peers and I get caught up in the difficult and less rewarding aspects of school, we begin taking it for granted. We easily forget that school, and doing well in school, should be about more than enabling us to make a comfortable living.  

Many people say that education is the key to success. But what kind of success are they talking about? Yousafzai speaks of a kind of success throughout the memoir that doesn't have to do with money, but rather the success of making a beneficial change in the world. When Malala Yousafzai speaks of her excitement about being educated, it made me take a step back and think about what I want to do with my education. I understand that a successful education will be one that leads not to a high salary, but rather to an opportunity to make change in the world, like Malala.  

Entry #2: Passage Analysis

“He tried desperately not to think about the treacherous consonants lying ahead of him, just waiting to trip him up and stick in his throat, but when he spoke, the words came out fluently like beautiful butterflies taking flight. His voice did not boom like his father’s, but his passion shone through and as he went on he gained confidence” (39).

            This passage in the memoir depicts Malala Yousafzai’s father’s first attempt at participating in a public speaking contest. Prior to this event, her father, Ziauddin, had a stutter that made it impossible for him to voice his ideas without feeling insecure. In order to prove to his father that he had a son to be proud of, he seeks to overcome his inability to speak without stuttering by making a public speech. During the passage, Ziauddin is able to take the seemingly unhopeful situation he is in and turn it around into a moment of triumph as he succeeds in overcoming his stutter and fear of speaking.

            Malala Yousafzai, the author, uses figurative language throughout the course of the novel and to particular effect in this passage. She uses personification to talk about consonants by giving them human qualities like the ability to wait, trip things, and get stuck places. By personifying consonants, Yousafzai makes Ziauddin’s experience more relatable. She gives the reader a representation of how it felt to be in Ziauddin’s position, rather than blandly stating his emotions. Additionally, the use of a simile to compare Ziauddin’s words to the flight of a butterfly helps the reader imagine the transformation of his speaking skills. The placement of these two figurative devices in the same sentence also portrays the transformation Ziauddin goes through in a very short period of time. By putting the uses of figurative language right next to each other, Yousafzai is able to contrast what Ziauddin fears might happen at the competition and what actually happens. This contrast emphasizes how triumphant Ziauddin is because of his persistence.

            This idea of persistence is found throughout the entire memoir; not only in Ziauddin’s actions, but in Malala’s as well, which is why the passage is particularly significant. It suggests a theme of defiance, although on a small scale, because Ziauddin is able to defy his father’s expectations and his own expectations of himself by overcoming his detrimental attribute. Malala Yousafzai is defiant, on a much larger scale, in speaking against the Taliban and their actions, to the point where her life was put at risk. Even after she is shot, she continues to speak out against them by putting her words in a book and appearing on television and other media platforms. In this sense, Malala’s experience mirrors her father's experience in the passage. This mirroring effect is also shown in the last line of the passage when Yousafzai states, “but his passion shone through and as he went on he gained confidence”(39). Malala’s journey and fight for education would have never captured the world's attention if it weren’t for her passion on the subject, just as her father would not have been able to get through the speech without his passion. This passage is significant because this portrays this idea and addresses the ongoing theme of defiance in the novel.
            

Entry #1: Initial Impressions

Prior to choosing my selected memoir, I am Malala, I had heard Malala Yousafzai’s name once or twice, but it had never been explained to me who she was or the importance of her incredible story. When my dad purchased her memoir for me, I was immediately interested by the blunt and hopeful words printed on the cover of the book: “The girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban.” I did an Internet search of her name and came across an interview she had done with Jon Stewart, which I watched and was mesmerized by. After watching the interview, I chose the book as my selected memoir because I found it amazing that Malala spoke of her fight for women’s education even after coming face to face with death.

I anticipate being deeply moved by the memoir, because it looks as though it showcases Malala’s thoughts on a subject she is truly passionate about. However, I also am a bit hesitant that the book will not hold my complete attention the entire time because, after briefly looking through the first few chapters, it appears that Malala provides a great amount of background information about her family before starting to talk about the shooting and its aftermath. The chapters are quite long and I am concerned they might be hard to get through even though I am very interested in the subject of the book itself. However, the book is split into five separate parts, which will hopefully make it easier to read, follow, and refer to. Overall, I am very hopeful about the potential this book has to stick with me for the rest of my life.