“I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban” Author: Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb Conflict -“Our men think earning money and ordering around others is where power lies. They don’t think power is in the hands of the woman who takes care of everyone all day long, and gives birth to their children,” Page 116. Women in the Middle East are only seen as care takers for their family, and nothing more. They cook, they clean, and they take care of children, and they do not get rewarded anything. In fact, they are treated rather poorly, like second-class citizens.
They have no rights to education, jobs, being seen without a burqa etc. This quote describes the conflict that Malala Yousafzai goes through to fight for education for all girls in Pakistan. If a woman speaks out in front of a male who is not related to them, the woman will get punished with whippings, beatings, and possibly death. This means that women in Pakistan and the Middle East are getting treated as second class citizens. The Quran states that all women and men are created equally, but the men in the Middle East do not follow this statement.
The Taliban are enforcing this to the point where girls cannot even have pens and pencils around the house. This issue is important because if girls are not educated, they will not know basic skills, such as reading and writing. If they cannot read and write, they simply will struggle communicating with the outside world. This is a conflict because girls like Malala are not getting a fair chance to be educated, and successful. They are forced to live an isolated life, while the men take a lead role. Malala’s conflict simply is getting woman to be seen as something besides caretakers.
Climax – “I told myself, Malala, you have already faced death. This is your second life. Don’t be afraid – if you are afraid, you can’t move forward,” Page 308. The climax of a story is the peak of the plot, or the turning point of the novel. When Malala was shot, it was the turning point in the story. It encouraged this protagonist to fight for what defeated her, she had to fight her life. At this point, she faced death, but instead of surrendering to this tragedy, she took a stand when she healed. This tragedy encouraged her to follow her dreams of standing up for women’s rights.
This was a turning point in her life. Her tragedy did not necessarily get her “Hollywood Famous,” but it helped spread her message, which was her ultimate goal. After this tragedy, positive things started to happen to her, and she started to help other lives around her It was making other girls stand up for what they believe in. This quote not only symbolizes the turning point in the book, but her in life, too. Character Development – “I don’t want to be thought of as the “girl who was shot by the Taliban” but the “girl who fought for education. This is the cause to which I want to devote my life,” Page 309. Malala Yousafzai’s growth from the beginning of the book to the end is like seed being planted. At first you have your seed, put it in pot of soil, and let grow and grow until it gets big and strong. For Malala Yousafzai it was learning the issue, studying the issue, and then having a strong understanding of the issue at hand, which was women’s rights. This helped Malala Yousafzai devote her life to her passion, which was helping girls in the Middle East gain an education.
This quote is very important, because it shows how Malala did not surrender to the tragedy of getting shot in the head, she still wanted to devote her life to this dilemma. When Malala Yousafzai got shot in the head, it encouraged more people to support her cause. This showed Malala’s commitment, growth, and determination. In fact, she now does press conferences with UNICEF, (The United Nations Children’s Fund) and other press conferences for other organizations. This shows growth, because Malala only used to do conferences in Swat Valley and all over Pakistan.
This character growth trait is called gaining confidence. Lastly, Malala grows tremendously because she had to go through head and spine surgery from the bullet wound. This shows great bravery because it takes a big person to go through head surgery at such a young age (15 years old). In my opinion, Malala Yousafzai had stellar bravery, commitment, and courage from day one. Going to school in the morning was such a challenge because of local terrorism, many punishments, live beatings, and radio threats. This is how Malala’s character developed through the book. Tragedy made her stronger.
