I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was shot by the Taliban is an eye-opening life narrative of Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani activist who accounts her childhood experiences and subsequent near-death encounter with the Taliban, describing her success later on when her story is heard by the international community. This book is a compelling read and touches upon multiple core themes of the Global Citizens stream such as women’s rights, rights to education and in ASTU class, the potential limitations and her story of resistance against traditional power structures. It is a good book to assign students because it forces you to critically think and question the literary workings that shape her narrative, as well as delving deeper into the social issues that dominate the real world. There are multiple topics in ASTU which are present in this book and is a good way of understanding life narratives. It helps in developing a global perspective when viewing these issues in her circumstances, not just from a Western point of view.
Malala describes how she has always been supported by her father in her education, unlike many other traditional families in her community at the time and how she utilizes this privilege to empower herself with these skills with the intent of creating a better future. The book was written when she was around 14 years of age, as a result it provides a more authentic tone in showing the innocence of her as a young teenager experiencing unspeakable things, but also places this in a rocky situation as some have questioned the validity of events and recollections (Garcia). As Garcia describes in her research, she speculates how the strategies used were carefully crafted in order to gain worldwide empathy and with the presence of a co-author, raising reliability issues (Gracia). This touches upon the gap present in her writing as even narratives written by the person themselves can have ethical issues on whether everything written is accountable for. Malala’s writing is also an example of text as a way of witnessing as she writes her personal experiences and how this impacts her future, as the book takes you through her life from childhood to the climax event and her subsequent impacts, challenging memory.
This book details on Malala’s childhood and the oppression the women experience in her community but also the stunning beauty and livelihood of her surroundings of Swat Valley, her home in northern Pakistan. She writes about how she is not afraid to stand up for what she believes and in her doing so, this is an example of resistance against a traditional power structure which in this case is the traditional culture of society and further on the oppression forced upon by the Taliban.
Malala describes throughout her book how she was targeted and almost killed by members of the Taliban on her way home from school one day, but depicting how this act of violence could not instill fear into her or prevent her from receiving education (Morrison). She regularly describes other girls in her life who live under oppression and how much it moves her into fighting against these power structures and with her choice of finishing school despite the dangers. Her individual voice is extremely prominent in garnering support and understanding in enacting change for young girls who have barriers to education and stands out in this narrative. I think this story definitely weaves together the values of a Global Citizen and incorporates the study of narrative integrity and themes of individual memory.
Works Cited
Garcia, Ana B. M. “I Am Malala: Issues on Ethics and Politics of Self-Representation” Research Gate, May 2015, www.researchgate.net/publication/284155493_’I_Am_Malala_Issues_on_Ethics_and_Politics_of_Self-Representation’
Morrison, Debbie. ” ‘I Am Malala’ : A Review of the Book and Its Implication for Education” Online Learning Insights, November 25, 2014, onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2014/11/25/i-am-malala-a-review-of-the-book-and-implications-for-education/