OneBookOneRiverHill discussion

What are some of your favorite passages?

Some of my favorite passages in I am Malala are in chapter 11, "The Clever Class" which contains Malala's views on the importance of education and how she worked diligently in order to be successful in school. In this chapter she was faced with many obstacles presented by the Taliban (more specifically Fazlullah), however she continued to attend school despite the scrutiny her and her classmates were under. This chapter Malala begins to use the media to her advantage, and begins to give speeches. “The media needs interviews. They want a small girl, but the girls are scared, and if they’re not, their parents won’t allow it. I have a father who isn’t scared and stands by me. He said, You are my child and it’s your right to speak (pg 141).” This is her moment of realization that it is up to her to make a difference in not only Swat, but also the rest of the country. She realizes how much of an impact she can have on education and the system. Her bravery is illuminated most in this chapter because she had the courage to do something most girls her age would never do. Her optimism scares the Taliban who only retaliate with violence. “In my heart was the belief that God would protect me. If I am speaking for my rights and the rights of girls, I am not doing anything wrong. It’s my duty to do so. God wants to see how we behave in such situations.” She uses her faith as one of her strongest assets in order to be brave. Her courage prevails over any fears that she may have, and she feels that if she doesn’t speak out, things will only remain bad, “If people were silent, nothing will change.” Lastly, after one her first biggest interviews she says, “If one man, Fazlullah, can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it? I wondered. I prayed to God every night to bring me strength.” Though before she may have been reluctant to speak out, her passion and love for education was important enough to make her want to make a difference. She wanted to be the one to change things and benefit students like her who were not receiving education. Even if it was risky, she had God on her side through her strong faith to prevail.