Fuhriman, et.

al 1
Jae Fuhriman, Alaina Gignac, Sam Kirstein, Saadiq White
Ms. Hall, Mrs. Buckley
English 102
19 February 2015
I Am Malala
Summary I Am Malala
Malala Yousafzai from the very start was living an abnormal life. Her culture and her religion
were against her and her educational opportunities suffered as a result of being a female. But no matter
the obstacle thrown at her, she overcame. In her motivational book I Am Malala, a story about her life
thus far, Malala and co-writer Christina Lamb explain her home valley of Swat and how it came to be part
of Pakistan, a nation of Islam, and a place she and her family may not ever return to. Malala showed the
world the importance of female education and the bravery she possessed to speak out against the Taliban.
In the beginning Malala speaks of the history of her valley, Swat, and the background of her
parents and their families. Swat used to be its own state in alliance with Britain, but when Britain gave
independence to India in 1947 Swat was incorporated into the new Pakistan (19). Because of this
incorporation there was no real government set in place allowing the valley to be taken over by anyone,
any religion, at any time. Swat has had many leaders and these leaders range from kings to dictators to a
democracy that lasted only a short time. One of these leaders brought Islam to the valley when the region
was invaded during its Buddhist era. However, the people of Swat first thought themselves Swati and
then Pashtun, before Pakistani(33), demonstrating their allegiance to the lifestyle and culture they had
always known. This made life difficult when the Taliban arrived and pushed their interpretation of the
Quran onto those living in the valley. The Taliban demanded that all practice Islam the way they felt it
should be. This meant not allowing women to have education or any type of rights whatsoever, despite the
fact that education is a right and Islam has given us this right and says that every girl and boy should go
to school. The Quran says we should seek knowledge, study hard and learn the mysteries of our world
(215). The holy book of Islam speaks of a type of equality between men and women that gets lost in

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interpretation. Banning girls education would prove to be a difficult view to enforce on the people of
Swat as well as Malala herself.
Malala's life began in a manner in which almost no other female born in Pakistan did ; with a
celebration. Her father, Ziauddin, asked his friends to throw dried fruits, sweets and coins into Malalas
cradle which is something Pashtuns only do for boys (16). She was treated as an equal in her family;
given opportunities through her father who believed she was something different. These opportunities
include; education, speaking to an audience, owning her own books, and deciding not to force Malala to
wear the traditional burqa, which is worn by women to almost completely, cover their bodies in public.
This angered many who looked toward females as inferiors who needed the accompaniment of a male,
even a young boy, to do something as simple as walk outside of their home. This especially angered the
Taliban who targeted Malala and her father for speaking out against their brutish ways and
misinterpretations of the Quran as well as the need to educate girls. The Taliban felt threatened by them,
hated that they campaigned for girls education, and attempted to kill Malala on her way home from
school by shooting her in the head along with two other female students on the bus. The justification they
gave to the world after assuming responsibility of the attack was that Malala has been targeted because
of her pioneer role in preaching secularism...She was young but she was promoting Western culture in
Pashtun areas..speaking out against the Taliban (357) for attempting to kill Malala by shooting her in
the head on her way home from school.
Due to injuries sustained during the shooting, Malala had to be air-evaced out of Pakistan and
into England to receive the proper care needed for her survival. She now lives with her family in
Birmingham and they are at this time unable to return home to their valley of Swat, as it is no longer safe
for them there. Malalas shooting became international news and the event caused her campaign for
education to go global. She is a brave young girl blessed with a life of opportunities and help who seeks
only to help other and spread education to every person in the world.

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Analysis
Malalas activism, journey, and testimony contributed to her success in reforming education for
children everywhere. There are many factors of success that allowed Malala and her story to be
successful. Malcom Gladwell, in Outliers, states that It is those who are successful, in other words, who
are most likely to be given the kinds of special opportunities that lead to further success (30). In the case
of Malala, she had the opportunity of having a father that encouraged her to pursue an education in a
culture that told her not to. In the opening statement of her book, Malala explains When I was born,
people in our village commiserated with my mother and nobody congratulated my father (13). The area
in which Malala lived in her school-aged years and the cultures associated with it created a challenge for
her, as women were viewed as inferior to men. Although when she was born people mourned her
familys misfortune, her father rejoiced, confident that his daughter had something miraculous to
contribute to the world. As such, he created every possible opportunity for her to receive the tools she
needed in order to be successful. This relates to Gladwells theory of opportunity because had Malala
been born into any other Pakistani family given their cultural legacy, she would never have been able to
rise to the occasion when it was her time to defend what was right. The support of her family and her
educational background were both empowering opportunities.
As stated, the vast majority of Pakistan observes customs and cultural beliefs as a result of their
deep-rooted Islamic faith. In many ways, as stated before, this was a major distraction for Malala due to
the way people viewed women and the responsibilities they held, as well as the limitations they were
forced to live under. Things became worse as the Taliban began to become more prominent in Malalas
home valley called Swat. In Outliers, Gladwell states that ... when and where you are born, what your
parents do for a living, and what the circumstances of your upbringing all make a significant difference in
how well you do in the world (175). Malala relates perfectly to Gladwells ideas of cultural legacies as
described by the learned behaviors of people based on how they are raised over generations. Malala was
indeed born into circumstances that should have, under other conditions, prevented her from obtaining an
education and having the courage to voice her thoughts and beliefs. However, it is her personal legacy-

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the legacy that close family members before her, like her father had displayed to her- that allowed her to
break the destructive cycle and inspire others to do the same. Malala was fortunate enough to see the
concern and love of her father for her, who was an advocate for education to all people as well, when He
even asked friends to throw dried fruits, sweets, and coins into my cradle, something we usually only do
for boys(16). The manner in which her father raised her, treating her as an equal, rather than someone
who was less significant because of their gender is what ultimately allowed Malalas destiny to change.
Review: Book Review: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
In Marie Aranas article, Book Review: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, she explains that even
though Malala had hardships in her life and country, she still prevailed, educated herself, and surpassed
her countrys expectations as an activist for womens rights in education. She informs the audience in a
sincere tone how educating women affects the economy in a positive way; then introduces Malala by
giving a brief description of her origin and describing the hardships and opportunities she had; and finally
how Malala overcame these hardships. I Am Malala is a book that everyone should have the opportunity
to dive into as it describes the dramatic events of a young girl standing up for womens education.
Aranas purpose is to suggest how after all the hardships and attempted murder, Malala is still
alive today to spread her message. When first introducing the topic of womens education, Arana states,
give them an education, and watch a community change: Per capita income goes up, infant mortality
goes down, the rate of economic growth increases, the rate of HIV/AIDS infection falls (1). This point is
significant because it opposes the beliefs of the Middle Eastern culture. Not to take anything away from
men, but Arana believes our economy would have a greater success rate with educated women than
without them.
Malala is doing good in standing up for womens education. She has seized and embraced the
opportunity given to her. The significance of her story is that she is so young and was shot and almost
died standing up for womens education; and for this she was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Malala was

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shot point blank in the head for speaking out about her God given right to attend school, and nevertheless,
she is proud of what she did and continues to help fight for womens education.
Review: Profile: Malala Yousafzai
In the article, Profile: Malala Yousafzai, BBC provides background information on Malala
Yousafzais journey and accomplishments as an activist for women's rights. This is important because
Malala is a very influential testimony to the hardships faced by women all across the Middle East, facing
oppression and persecution. BBC introduces the article by listing her accomplishments, such as the Nobel
Peace Prize, and by summarizing her recovery after being shot by the Taliban. Malala would not be
oppressed or persecuted, and decided to stand up for herself and other women. BBC goes on to say that,
...her life now is unimaginably different to anything she may have envisaged when she was an
anonymous voice chronicling the fears of schoolgirls under the shadow of the Taliban (7). Malala has
become an international education rights activist when she only started off as an anonymous writer for
BBC telling the world what it was like to live under Taliban rule.
BBCs purpose is to give readers history of Malala, her recovery, and her campaign to stand up
for women. Malala only wanted to help spread education to every person in need. BBC states that, It is a
subject she never ceased to be passionate about even after she returned home once the militants had been
run out of Swat (17). This shows that even in the face of terror, even after being shot, Malala would not
back down. BBC knew it was important to show how brave Malala was, and how she is a strong activist
that is inspiring millions.
Malalas effort to raise awareness for education for everyone, especially in the Middle East, is no
easy task. Malala is very brave, and is doing a great duty to the world. She may be young, but her book,
speeches, and documentaries catch the attention of people across the world. Being shot in the head did not
stop Malala, and she will continue to reform education for men, women, and children across the world.

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Works Cited

Arana, Marie. "Book Review: 'I Am Malala' by Malala Yousafzai." Washington Post. The Washington
Post, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
Bhutto, Fatima. "I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai -review." The Guardian. 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 28 Feb.
2015.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. Little, Brown, 2008. Print.
Hodge, Nathan, and Jenny Gross. "Pakistani Girls' Education Activist Malala Yousafzai Rose to Global
Prominence After Taliban Shooting." WSJ. 10 Oct. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
"Profile: Malala Yousafzai." BBC News. 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was
Shot by the Taliban. Little, Brown, 2013. Print.