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.