84 pages • 2 hours read
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
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Themes
Individual vs. Society
Much of the narrative revolves around Malala’s struggle against societal inclinations. She is a girl in a man’s world. Around her, people expect girls to leave school early or not attend at all. Instead of fitting into the mold, Malala fights for her right to learn.
Similarly, her entire family can be looked at as an “individual” against society. They are one group looking to go against the grain. Her father struggled against what was expected of him as a teenager, which did not include school. He puts himself through school and beats the odds of opening his own school, particularly when he takes on the system of bribery and unjust payments needed to open and maintain a school. He is one against many.
Malala’s father instills the same fighting spirit in her. Despite societal pressure to stop going to school, Malala pointedly remarks the Taliban can take the books and pens, but they cannot take away her thoughts. She continues to think, to question, and to learn.
Malala and her family find little support during the days of the Taliban and the military operation. Even immediately before she is shot, Malala and her family receive support only from outside sources, including the media. However, the theme of individual versus society is briefly broken after Malala is shot—the country and the world rally around her. Once out of the hospital, though, Malala finds herself alone in an unfamiliar country, again one among many.
Knowledge vs. Ignorance
Another consistent theme throughout Malala’s narrative is knowledge versus ignorance. Malala’s goal is to move as far away from ignorance as possible. She is born into a family that values education. Her father went to college, even with the odds stacked against him, and opens his own school. Although her mother did not go to college, she understands the importance of learning and encourages Malala to attend.
In contrast, Malala sees the general ignorance of her community, particularly when the Taliban first shows up. Using religion to convince people to turn away from education, the Taliban takes advantage of the community’s ignorance. Most people are uneducated and cannot read the Quran. Therefore, they trust what they are told by their elders.
Throughout the novel, Malala and her father fight against the ignorance of others. Whether it is trying to explain to the community the Taliban’s errors or defending Malala’s education and clothing to outsiders, they work hard to fight ignorance with knowledge. After Malala is shot and recovers, her only regret is she didn’t get to tell the man who shot her about girls’ rights.
Power of Words
The ultimate theme of the narrative is the power of words. Malala’s father learns early on that words have power. He fixes a stutter to conquer public speaking. Later, he goes on to join debate teams and student groups. Eventually, he advocates for others, including school principals, students, and community members. He does it all because few people speak out—and those that do carry power.
Malala follows in her father’s path, speaking out for girls and for education. Her words gain attention, just as her father’s do. Both receive threats because their words ruffle feathers. The Taliban discounts Malala’s testimony, however, saying they did not shoot her because of her campaigning. Regardless, Malala did nothing more than speak out, so there appears to be no other reason to have shot her. The power of her words bring the U.N. to their feet and her mother to her knees—the final act of the narrative showing Malala is not broken, she has recovered.
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